Balochistan still in crisis

Daily Times

The bomb attack on Inspector General Police (IGP) Balochistan’s residence in Quetta raises many troubling questions. An explosives-laden van driven by a suicide bomber went off just outside the home of the IG and ravaged the vicinity with a 1,500-2,000 kgs blast. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, guilty in the past for horrendous attacks targeting the Hazara Shias in Quetta, has taken responsibility for the attack. The death toll has risen to eight people while dozens have been injured. The question is how could a province rife with insurgency, terrorism and sectarian violence afford a security breach in the high security Red Zone of Quetta? That the IGP could well be the target of the terrorists is not something that needed any deep thought. How did the explosives-laden vehicle breach such tight security in an area where even a sparrow cannot enter without clearance? Law enforcement agencies have been on the hit list of the terrorists and being able to attack such a high profile target would always be one of the desired aims of the terrorists. In the wake of elections when there were threats from both the insurgents and the terrorists, any security lapse reflects on the unprofessionalism of the security agencies and the caretaker government. One hopes for not only a smooth transition of power in Balochistan but for a government that provides solutions to the insurgency and general unrest in the province. The fractured mandate of the Balochistan Assembly could lead to jockeying for turf and space by the various power aspirants. Though the nationalist parties have emerged as a strong contender in these elections, with the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) bagging 10 provincial Assembly and three National Assembly seats, Nawaz Sharif’s stated desire to form a coalition government could well be the outcome. However, the fly in the ointment is the withholding of the results of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), which could cause serious political repercussions. Already BNP-M leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal has refused to accept the results, terming it a conspiracy to keep his party out of power. The issue is not just about the chance given to the nationalist parties to participate in the elections, it is about the space given to all the aggrieved parties kept out of mainstream politics for years that mattered in the troubled province. The decision to hold elections in an insurgency-hit province was always going to be a tough call. Now keeping the results pending of BNP-M and other parties is a blunder. The previous government with its flawed policies increased problems in the province. The new government should find a political solution to the issues afflicting Balochistan. For this to happen, it is important to accept the election results, even if considered flawed, and allow democracy another chance to perform.