What are the Prospects for a Peaceful Resolution to the Balochistan Conflict in the Coming Years?

CSS Current Affairs | Prospects to Resolve the Balochistan Conflict

The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Tehreem Zafar 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-An overall glimpse of the Balochistan province

3-Prospects for a Peaceful Resolution to the Balochistan Conflict

• ✓Economic Prospects
  • Argument: The increment in employment options will lead Balochistan towards socioeconomic development
    • Evidence: According to the 2018 research conducted at GC Women University Sialkot, “In Balochistan, only 5000 jobs have been facilitated by the federal government; however, it is recommended to increase it by 15000 jobs for the Baloch, which might foster socioeconomic development in the region.”  
• ✓Political Prospects
  • Argument: The peaceful resolution to the Balochistan conflict will bring political stability
    • Evidence: According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Report, “problems in Balochistan like the rapid surge in target killings and forced disappearances, especially in the year 2023, will be resolved through peace-making mechanisms, which can only be achieved by curbing political crisis in the province. 

• ✓Social Prospects
  • Argument: The peaceful resolution to the Balochistan conflict will result in the societal empowerment
    • Evidence:  According to the statement realized by the Baloch Student Action Committee (BSAC), almost 80% of schools in Balochistan have collapsed, presenting a grim picture of the Baloch society with only a 26% literacy rate. 

• ✓Infrastructural Prospects
  • Argument: The development of Gwadar Port on the western side would open up the doors of infrastructural development
    • Evidence:  To elaborate, connecting the western side of Gwadar Port through CPEC to the Chinese province Xinjiang through highways and railway construction will help in the urbanization of the Balochistan region.

4-Critical Analysis

5-Conclusion

Answer to the Question

Introduction

The idea of conflict and peace in human life coexist as the former is strongly interrelated to the latter; in particular, the resolution of conflict brings societal stability, political prosperity, and economic empowerment. Stepping on the soil of Balochistan, the existence of conflict has adversely impacted the lives of the Baloch people since the independence of Pakistan. However, the conflict resolution in Balochistan through peaceful negotiations and dialogues will bear social, political, and economic prospects, resulting in increasing literacy ratio, growing political consciousness, and maximizing employment rate. This answer discusses in detail the economic, political, social, and infrastructural prospects for Balochistan after peaceful conflict resolution.

An overall glimpse of the Balochistan province

Before diving deep into the main arguments, it is important to highlight the significance of Balochistan and discuss the current situation of the province. Balochistan is one of the underdeveloped and underrepresented provinces of Pakistan, with large reserves and a small population. Geographically, it is located in the South-West side of Pakistan with 44% of land and immense natural resources, coal, gold, coal, uranium, and copper, connecting with Iran in the South-East and Afghanistan in the North-West as the province is divided among these three countries. Demographically, it has 5% of the population with various ethnicities, like Hazara, Bugti, Marri, Pashtuns, and Khetrani. Linguistically, the Baloch speakers use Balochi, Seraiki, and Urdu. Moving towards the ongoing Balochistan crisis, a series of factors come forth, which are the contributors to the existing unrest in the province, including the blame game between the Baloch insurgents and deployed armed forces, unequal resource distribution, and the alienation of masses with Baloch leaders. As the debate unfolds, it is not hard to understand that the ongoing rift in Balochistan has seemed like a negative change, exemplifying the terrorist threats, the tribal/Sardari system, illiteracy, and poverty.

Prospects for a Peaceful Resolution to the Balochistan Conflict

• Economic Prospects

To begin with, the increment in job opportunities in Balochistan as a result of conflict resolution is another prospect that can lead the province towards socioeconomic development. Also, the availability of more employment options will lead Baloch people towards the approval of various development projects in the province. According to the 2018 research conducted at GC Women University Sialkot, “In Balochistan, only 5000 jobs have been facilitated by the federal government; however, it is recommended to increase it by 15000 jobs for the Baloch, which might foster socioeconomic development in the region.” Thus, the conflict in Balochistan needs to be resolved to change the fortune of the Baloch residents.

• Political Prospects

In addition, the peaceful resolution to the Balochistan conflict will provide pace to the political inclusion of the people of Balochistan. The political reconciliation of Balochistan by involving the educated Baloch factions, for sure, will not only increase the seats of Balochistan politicians in the National Assembly (NA) but will also bring relief to the politically suppressed masses. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Report, “problems in Balochistan like the rapid surge in target killings and forced disappearances, especially in the year 2023, will be resolved through peace-making mechanisms, which can only be achieved by curbing political crisis in the province. In short, the political well-being of Balochistan is imperative for resolving the ongoing conflict in the Baloch region.

• Social Prospects

Moreover, the post-conflict peaceful resolution in Balochistan may result in the societal empowerment of the province. In fact, if Balochistan gains politico-economic betterment, it will -ultimately- favour the social development there, resolving problems like water-related issues, security concerns, and a dysfunctional education system. According to the statement realized by the Baloch Student Action Committee (BSAC), almost 80% of schools in Balochistan have collapsed, presenting a grim picture of the Baloch society with only a 26% literacy rate. Hence, the Balochistan conflict resolution will take the region to new heights of societal progress and prosperity by dealing with numerous problems of the Baloch citizens.

• Infrastructural Prospects

Last but not least, the development of Gwadar port on the western side would open up the doors of infrastructural development. The construction of roads and advancement of new special economic zones (SEZs) would not only facilitate the foreigners but would also help solve the grievances of people living in the completely underdeveloped areas of Balochistan. To elaborate, connecting the western side of Gwadar Port to the Chinese province of Xinjiang through highways and railway construction will help in the urbanization of the Balochistan region. Therefore, the post-conflict resolution prospects of Balochistan will amplify the progressive image of Pakistan on regional and global levels.

Critical Analysis

To investigate critically, the Balochistan conflict revolves not only around security concerns but also economic fragility and political underrepresentation. To expand the point, it shows that the authorities in the Baloch region have failed to address and meet the needs of the citizens. As a result, Balochistan is surrounded by the constantly emerging threat of a zero-bright future for the youth, demanding the serious attention of the central government of Pakistan. However, if the grievances of the Baloch masses are addressed properly, the province has immense potential to mitigate the worsening impacts of the years-long breeding conflict with the development initiatives of the Saindak Project, CPEC, and Reko-Dig Agreement.

Conclusion

To conclude the debate, the prospects of Balochistan’s development lie at the heart of a peaceful resolution between the Baloch insurgents and the central government. The end of the Balochistan crisis will give birth to more employment opportunities, political inclusion of the masses, infrastructural development, and societal advancement. All in all, the resolution of the Balochistan conflict is direly important for Pakistan’s strong global politico-economic standing.

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