Time To Take Action By Shaima Sumaya

With the murder of their leaders the Balochi believe their pride, identity and influence in the region has been put under stake. The province has witnessed a strike Sunday, which disrupted daily life in the provincial capital Quetta and other districts. There is a reaction against non-Balochis, state institutions and infrastructure. There are growing suggestions of separation in the province.

Pakistan is going through a very delicate period in her history. The State is facing complex problems from various fronts. There is no probability of any of these issues solving in the near future, and the country is going deeper and deeper into a state of uncertainty. Pakistan has become an unstable state at the mercy of terrorists and the outside world. The country is silently bearing the brunt of drone attacks from the US. These attacks are compromising the sovereignty of Pakistan and are hurting the sentiments of the Pakistani public.

There is lack of faith and confidence amongst the political parties in Pakistan. It is due to this lack of trust that the political parties are not coming together under one platform to serve the nation. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif is openly expressing his reservations in re-uniting with the PPP. The PML-N has put the condition that it will not join the government in the center unless the 17th amendment is repealed. While the PML-Q leaders most notably Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi has shown open resentment for PML-N and its leaders. Time and again they are bringing into question the performance of PML-N when it was in power. The PML-Q prides itself that it has a unique significance in Pakistan's political scene and had the second largest popular vote in the previous elections. The fact remains however, that no political party has the dominance to control Pakistan's political scene. Meanwhile, the ANP is threatening its alliance with the PPP in the NWFP and the center. The ANP that is witnessing the execution of its members in NWFP is under increasing pressure in enforcing the Nizam-e-Adl regulation. The ANP has staked its reputation for its commitment to the Nizam-e-Adl and peace deal in the NWFP. It has gone so far in its implementations that already Qazi courts have begun working in Kohistan and other districts of Malakand division. However, the NWFP and its mediator Sufi Muhammed are growing increasingly frustrated with the President's delaying tactics in signing the document. Sufi Muhammed has tried to enforce Sharia in NWFP in 1994, 1999 and 2009. He has expressed his despair and helplessness to ANP leaders over the incidents of crime and violence in various parts of Swat. He warned that this lawlessness would continue unless the Nizam-e-Adl is not implemented.

Sufi Muhammad has also warned the President of dire consequences if he doesn't honor the document. The ANP is insisting that the President should take into account the party and public wishes in the enforcement of Sharia law in the NWFP and the return of peace and normalcy in the region. If that doesn't happen then the ANP fears resumption of violence in Malakand division that will spread throughout the province.

President Asif Ali Zaradari however, has serious reservations about the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl and fears the deal could prove counter-productive for his government and Pakistan. He is also under increasing US pressure not to endorse the deal. The US doesn't trust any deal signed with militants and fears that Sufi Muhammad's son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah will continue his support for the Taliban in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Maulana Faqir Muhammad, deputy leader of Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has implemented Sharia in Bajaur without the consent of the government. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has its own infrastructure in Bajaur and is spreading further into the NWFP. It has strong ties with al-Qaeda, Taliban in Afghanistan, and terrorist organizations working inside Pakistan. TTP leader Baitullah Mehsud has a US $15 million bounty on his head and is wanted for acts of terror inside and outside Pakistan.

Pakistan is also witnessing increasing unrest in its southwest in the province of Balochistan as a result of the killing of three Balochi separatist leaders. Their murder brought back memories of the slaying of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. Balochistan is the largest but least developed province of Pakistan. Yet Balochistan has remained isolated and unutilized. No government in the past has been able utilize the natural resources and strategic significance of Balochistan. With the murder of their leaders the Balochi believe their pride, identity and influence in the region has been put under stake. The province has witnessed a strike Sunday, which disrupted daily life in the provincial capital Quetta and other districts. There is a reaction against non-Balochis, state institutions and infrastructure. There are growing suggestions of separation in the province.

The process of reconciliation and confidence building in the province has been dealt a severe blow and unless the issue of Balochistan's economy, royalties from natural sources, federalism, and influence of the ruling elite of Pakistan is not resolved. The government has always accused the tribal chiefs of Balochistan of being anti-development with sepratist views and aligning with foreign intelligence agencies most notably India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The Baloch leaders argue that the ruling elite of Pakistan has always tried to suppress any spirit of genuine federalism by perceiving it as a prelude to separatism. Solving the Balochistan dispute is not about settling a single problem. The larger issue is Pakistan's political direction in coming years. The use of excessive military force will further fuel alienation of the Baloch population. If Pakistan wants herself to be a progressive state, it has to give the people of Balochistan the rights that have long been denied to them.

A point to emphasize in the end is that Pakistan is under increasing foreign pressure to get its house in order. The US policies are quickly changing and adapting to the events inside Pakistan. US President Barack Obama has expressed his willingness to mediate in the Kashmir conflict, which is the flash point of Indo-Pak tensions. The US greatly realizes how a strong and stable Pakistan would contribute in its success in the war against terrorism. The US is constantly demanding that Pakistan kill her demons and become a cause of stability in the region and inturn the world.

If Pakistan doesn't act now then that would allow forces with negative agendas towards the State to operate. An internally unstable Pakistan will be of no service to her people or the outside world. Pakistani political leaders should end their political squabbles and unite with the army and state and non-state actors for the formation of a peaceful and progressive Pakistan.