Southern Balochistan: The Journey from Peace to Prosperity
Southern Balochistan is my subject because it is one of the most sensitive regions of the country, sharing its longest borders with Afghanistan and Iran. It is also home to nationally important projects such as CPEC, Gwadar Port, Reko Diq and Saindak, making it a region faced with complex and multifaceted challenges. For a long time, a narrative of deprivation and underdevelopment has been repeatedly promoted about the area. My foremost belief has always been that research should be conducted before creating or presenting any narrative. The Holy Quran instructs believers to investigate information brought by a transgressor before accepting it. This passion for research led us to Southern Balochistan with a group of friends. What we witnessed there with our own eyes immediately dispelled the propaganda of deprivation being spread by hostile elements.
First and foremost, the city of Turbat impressed us. We had expected, based on what we had repeatedly heard, that people might still be living in conditions reminiscent of centuries-old times. However, Turbat is a beautiful and attractive city in Makran Division and Kech District, where a wide range of modern facilities is available. Among its prominent institutions and facilities are the University of Turbat, cadet colleges, girls’ and boys’ schools, a state-of-the-art IT hub, Makran Medical College, an international-standard FC Hospital, Turbat Teaching Hospital (DHQ), and the Kech Thalassemia Center for children suffering from thalassemia.
We also had the opportunity to meet and interact with local residents. Believe me, the Baloch are genuinely a patriotic and hospitable people. More importantly, the Baloch people have strong confidence in the state and its institutions and do not support any terrorist organization. Rather, they strongly oppose those who undermine peace and security in the region through terrorism.
I was particularly eager to visit Panjgur because this land has the honour of having been visited by the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH). According to traditions, five Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) are buried here, which is said to be the origin of the name Panjgur. The dates produced here are famous around the world for their distinctive taste. In Gharibabad, there is also the shrine of the revered saint Hazrat Shahu Qalandar, which has recently been reconstructed. In Khudabadan, a Women Skill Development Center has also been established to empower women through vocational skills. Panjgur is a city rich in history.
We also had the opportunity to visit Kharan, Taftan, Mashkel, Tump, Dasht, Dalbandin, Chagai, Buleda, Hoshab, Washuk and Mand. Development projects under the Balochistan Special Development Initiative (BSDI) are progressing rapidly in these areas as well. A modern Indus Hospital equipped with advanced medical facilities has been established in Nokkundi, while a modern digital center has been set up in Kharan. A pilot project under the Green Pakistan Initiative has been launched in Dasht, through which thousands of acres of barren land have been brought under cultivation, benefiting hundreds of families. The establishment of a Green Agri Mall at Mirani Dam in Dasht is a major initiative for farmers.
The development measures being undertaken by the state in Southern Balochistan are clearly visible. Under Balochistan Special Development Initiative Phases I and II, various development projects have been completed, while work is progressing rapidly under Phase III. These projects have placed particular emphasis on education, healthcare and employment.
The BSDI and Parwaz Foundation initiatives include the construction, renovation and upgrading of schools, the establishment of modern NADRA offices, repair and rehabilitation of non-functional hospitals and basic health units, provision of medicines, installation of water filtration plants, and financial assistance to local people for starting businesses.
After visiting Southern Balochistan, my unbiased assessment is that the federal and provincial governments, particularly the security forces, are taking practical measures not only to eliminate terrorism and establish law and order but also to promote public welfare and development. Clear evidence of this is that while the region may not yet have “rivers of milk and honey,” neither are its people being left to face hunger and deprivation.
Road infrastructure plays a major role in improving the economy of any country. Today, the expanding network of roads in Balochistan is evidence of this progress. There is no doubt that challenges remain. Unemployment is a problem facing the entire world. However, alongside these challenges, opportunities and solutions also exist.
One thing I particularly observed was that young people in border areas remain reluctant to leave the oil trade and the Zamyad business, despite the availability of alternative employment opportunities. The narrative of deprivation, unemployment and backwardness in Southern Balochistan is being exploited by anti-state elements whose objective is to keep Baloch youth away from education. Education creates awareness, liberates people from ignorance and dependency, and educated Baloch youth are the greatest obstacle to the nefarious objectives of such elements. This is why people with limited education can more easily be influenced against the state through fabricated propaganda.
Today, educated Baloch youth must completely reject the propaganda spread by terrorist elements and stand with the state so that the journey toward peace, development and prosperity in Southern Balochistan can accelerate further.
It must be remembered: A gun can never be a substitute for education, violence can never provide employment, and terrorism can never become a path to prosperity. Education develops critical thinking and enables young people to make better decisions about their future.
If the youth of Southern Balochistan utilize their abilities, education and skills for the development of the region, they can transform its future. What is needed is to reject misleading propaganda and defeat the designs of those few hostile elements who seek to push young people toward terrorism.
It is clear that the journey toward peace and prosperity can move forward only through cooperation with the state, and this can become the guarantee of a brighter future for Southern Balochistan.
