CSS Current Affairs | Steps Taken to Address Economic Disparities in Balochistan
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Maryam Bajwa under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Understanding the Balochistan conflict and the demands of Baloch people
3- What type of economic disparities prevail in Balochistan Province?
- ✓Less share of NFC Awards as compared to their population
- ✓No infrastructure and road development projects in the Balochistan province
- ✓The region has been deprived of resources like gas and water, whereas these resources are produced in Balochistan
4- Steps taken by the Government to address economic disparities in Balochistan
- ✓Development of Gawadar Port, transforming Balochistan into an economic hub
- Case in point: According to the Journal of Nautical Eye and Strategic Studies,the vital strategic location of Gwadar Port provides access to the Middle Eastern, African, and European markets and transforms the economic importance of Balochistan.
- ✓Gwadar Hoshab (M8) Highway Project facilitates trade and movement of people.
- Case in point: By Dr. Akbar Zaidi, the M8 highway project connects remote areas of the Balochistan with the industrial zone of Sindh boosts its trade potential and facilitates cross movement of people.
- ✓18th Amendment of the constitution provided greater autonomy to provinces like Balochistan on their resources and administration
- Case in point: Under the Amendment, the Balochistan share increased from 5.1 per cent to 9.1 per cent in the distribution of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.
- Under CPEC, the establishment of special economic zones to boost industrialization
- Case in point: According to Dr Akbar Zaidi, the SEZs create a ripple effect, facilitating local industries and creating employment opportunities.
5- Critical Analysis
6- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
In the modern world, states consist of groups of people with distinct languages, cultures, and ethnicities, mainly due to the diversification and movement of people from one place to another, which leads to the uprising of conflict due to the feeling of marginalization. At that time, it was a headache for states to maintain internal state conflicts to bring them together and promote unification; unlike Balochistan, the long-standing and historical Issue of Pakistan was promulgated mainly after 2005 due to the ethnic cause. The Issue aggravated in Pakistan due to decades-long political and economic marginalization like less Qota system, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a minimum share in NFC Award aggravates their people to raise their voices against the state’s credibility. Furthermore, the Pakistani Government has tried to solve this conflict through a militaristic approach, but unfortunately, the insurgency deepened with time due to no soft approach to negotiation from the side of the Government. Additionally, the Government has taken several steps to address the issue, which include the development of Gwadar Port, infrastructure projects, and the establishment of SEZs to boost economic activity in the province and to empower manpower to address their inner grievances of marginalization.
Understanding the Balochistan conflict and the demands of Baloch people
Before delving into the depths, we first understand the Balochistan conflict. Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province, consisting of 44 per cent of Pakistan’s total land mass, with a 21.7 million population. It is situated in the South-West frontier of Pakistan, integrated with the Iran and Afghanistan border. Likewise, as the biggest province, its representation seats are only 20 in the National Assembly of Pakistan, which aggravates the ground of differences between the Balochi people and the Government. They demand political representation as the major part of Pakistan, economic development, and the spread of social services across the region, which uplift their standards of living.
What type of economic disparities prevail in Balochistan Province?
- Less share of NFC Awards as compared to their population
It is necessary to elaborate on the economic disparities faced by Balochistan people, one of the main ones being the inequitable share of the NFC Award, which develops the feeling of less representation in the people of the province. Approximately, the province gets the least share of 9.09% of NFC awards as compared to the other provinces, which is the reason for under-developed infrastructure, no employment opportunities, and no proper road network for trade or business. The dire situation led to poverty and the un-education of youth, which started a march against the state institutions. Likewise, private people are more susceptible to becoming prey to hybrid and proxy warfare, exploited in the hands of terrorists, which is a major threat to any nation. So, the unequal share marginalizes the people and puts them in a position where they stand against the state.
- No infrastructure and road development projects in the Balochistan province
Adding fuel to the fire, underdeveloped infrastructure, and lack of road and rail networks are the second major problems in the movement of people. Whereas Balochistan rolled back to the old civilization of Mehrgarh and Indus Valley -the old civilization of 7000 BCE- is the full hub of attraction for tourists, but due to no proper road network, people do not prefer to travel there to seek enjoyment. Similarly, the old and traditional archaeological sites also become dormant due to no proper management and polishing, fading their historical uniqueness and beauty. In addition, no proper road and network system limits the exposure of people from the outer world, which exacerbates the sense of deprivation in them. Thus, the marginalization showcases the state’s failure to deliver the services that have fueled insurgencies.
- The region has been deprived of resources like gas and water, which are produced in Balochistan.
Exploring deep into the depth, the third and the most prominent problem is the deprivation of resources in the region, stealing the standard of living and taking them into a quagmire of backwardness. Although Balochistan is a region full of natural resources like Chromite, Coal, Iron ore, etc.,the sad reality is that the people of this region are deprived of these resources. For instance, Sui Gas Field, a natural gas extracted from Balochistan in 1952 and then transmitted across all provinces of Pakistan, but the Baloch people have little benefit from it. They are still living the life of the Stone Age, where they used wood for cooking food and little water that is not enough to meet their drinking requirement. Hence, no proper management of resources, which is necessary for their survival, led them to the extent in which they started a revolt against Pakistan’s Government.
Steps taken by the Government to address economic disparities in Balochistan
- Development of Gawadar Port transforming Balochistan into an economic hub
Further moving towards those steps that the Government has taken to address the Baloch issues, one of them is the development of Gwadar Port to transform it into a strategic economic hub. Basically, the port linked the Balochistan province to the major Gulf markets, which has helped to flourish trade and employment opportunities in the region.According to the Journal of Nautical Eye and Strategic Studies, the vital strategic location of Gwadar Port provides access to the Middle Eastern, African, and European markets and transforms the economic importance of Balochistan. The development automatically increased the labour force, which directly pulled them out of historical grievances and boosted their living standards. So, a major step forward is the initiation of the Government’s soft approach towards the Baloch people.
- Gwadar Hoshab (M8) Highway Project facilitates trade and movement of people.
Likewise, the Hoshab (M8) Highway project is also a major development in facilitating the movement of goods and people. In the developed world, the most crucial step is to develop an infrastructure that helps to boost trade facilities and industrialization in the region. The development of this region also connects with the development of Highway and road networks. According to Dr Akbar Zaidi, the M8 highway project connects remote areas of Balochistan with the industrial zone of Sindh, boosts its trade potential and facilitates cross movement of people. Also, it minimizes the time spent transporting and wasting commodities, helping in the transmission process from one place to another through highways under surveillance. Thus, projects like motorway and highway development push local trade by facilitating and protecting it.
- 18th Amendment of the constitution provided greater autonomy to provinces like Balochistan on their resources and administration
Next to this, the 18th Amendment of the constitution has provided greater autonomy to provinces like Balochistan in terms of their resource management and administration system. It is a step towards decentralization by giving provinces and assemblies opportunities to maintain their budget and use it on a priority basis. Under the Amendment, the Balochistan share increased from 5.1 per cent to 9.1 per cent in the distribution of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. Although the share must be increased more according to their population size, it is better to scratch than not to scratch. So, autonomy may prove beneficial for the provinces when chief ministers sincerely use the allocated funds for development purposes and work as a bridge between the centre and the people to minimize inner grievances.
- Under CPEC, the establishment of special economic zones to boost industrialization
Last but not least, the major game changer project of CPEC is not only for Pakistan but also for Balochistan, and the establishment of special economic zones in the region enhances surveillance, which reduces trade damages and other terrorist activities that hinder transporting trade. According to Dr Akbar Zaidi, the SEZs create a ripple effect, facilitating local industries and creating employment opportunities. Due to enhanced employment opportunities, poverty and other types of economic evils have been eradicated, which has led to the flourishing of the positive outlook of people towards the Government and maintaining their livelihood. Hence, the SEZs play a crucial role in facilitating Balochistan to promote industrialization and development across the region.
Critical Analysis
Critically, the state’s unity is crucial for overall development, just as a body without working of a single part cannot work smoothly in the case of a state; if one province is underdeveloped and marginalized but all other provinces are developed, yet also the country cannot achieve its progress and success. According to the Quaid-e-Azam: “In our solidarity, unity, and discipline lie the strength, power, and sanction behind us to carry on this fight successfully”. Likewise, in the Issue of Balochistan, Pakistan must take all its provinces on an equity basis instead of an equality basis. Balochistan has a smaller population, but they are still deprived. That’s why the Government takes pragmatic measures, including the development of infrastructure and road projects, Gwadar Port, and the initiation of SEZs in the region to promote livelihood and prosperous living.
Conclusion
In a Nutshell, the ethnic conflict of Balochistan is crucial to solving through negotiation rather than a militaristic approach because the Government saw in the historical separation of East Bangladesh in 1971 that the use of the military can only divide; it can never become a solution to any problem. Further, the steps taken by the Government, which include the development of infrastructure and road projects, Gwadar Port, and the initiation of SEZs in the region, are important to reduce the resentment and mistrust between the Baloch people and the Government. So, the Government must collaborate with the Baloch people before making any policy for the local people and incentivize them through subsidies, scholarships, and training programs to make them informed citizens of Pakistan.
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