Grieving Balochistan and Reko-Diq – Rizwan Baloch

Written By Rizwan Baloch

Balochistan is the most important geostrategic place. It is rich in gifts and precious minerals. It is the gateway to Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, and the warm Indian Ocean. It also links crucial regions for trade: the Iranian Peninsula and the Arabian Sea. Both are on its west and south. But, the area lacks basic human needs. It has been the center of many projects, like Sui, Saindak, Gwadar Sea Port, and Duddar Mine. But, it is still the poorest province in Pakistan.

Also, Balochistan is backward. This is because the Pakistani government’s policies never change. They also divide resources unevenly. They have always seen Baloch’s issues as a security or a dicey matter. They have not addressed their valid grievances. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says the poverty index is 71% in rural areas of Balochistan. The average person’s income there is less than $2 per day. In other parts, the poverty ratio stays high. People there live below the poverty line. Instead, the military and death squads have made it hell for a regular Baloch. But, it’s a paradise for the corrupt, abettors, and their wrongdoings. They fear no accountability due to their power over the whole system. In Balochistan, there are over fifty thousand registered lawsuits. Mama Qadeer Baloch said this. They are for forcible disappearances. Three hundred of the victims are women and three hundred are infants. Law enforcement agencies of Pakistan whisked them away. Officialdom claimed the projects would lead Balochistan to prosperity. They said these projects would change fate. But, the stats show that Balochistan has gained little from the so-called projects. Only the corruptors, defectors, military, and moneybags have benefitted.

In most cases, the Sui field produces about 50% of gas. But, only 2% of Balochistan gets this gas. It is in Dera Bugti, a district of Balochistan. As mentioned in PPAF’s report, it is in one of the poorest zones of Balochistan. There, the poverty rate is 91.2% – 68.7. The Balochs who live here are poor. They lack education, health care, food, jobs, and ways to make a living.

Similarly, Gwadar has the largest seabed. It’s a 770 km deep warm water area. It stretches from Hormuz to the Indian Ocean. It’s the most mammoth geostrategic commercial belt. But, its people do not have drinkable water. About 48.4-38.6% lack education, health care, jobs, and food. In such a state of affairs, when people protest for their rightful rights, fiends call them names. They are at odds. With every project, officials make claims and oaths to the people of Balochistan. But, they end up with disappointments and anguish. The federal and provincial governments signed a pact with Barrick Gold. Barrick Gold is a Canadian firm. Since then, they have counted its blessings. They have exaggerated its significance for the economy’s revival and Balochistan’s development.

Likewise, Reko-Diq is in the Chagai district of Balochistan. It has hoards of gold and copper, as well as other precious minerals worth billions of dollars. According to a report, it holds the world’s fifth-largest gold reservoir. It produces about a million tons of copper, concrete, and gold each year, plus other minerals. Still, experts rank it as an extremely poor zone. This is due to its worse socio-economic condition and lack of other necessities. The poverty per headcount ratio is 91.2% -68.75. This district is also at the bull’s eye of another copper and gold project. The Pakistani government has signed it with China. The mines at leased for ten years. Yet, the projects and Saindak have not cut poverty. The numbers show the real picture of such projects. They have only helped the military, stakeholders, and corrupt politicians. The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund report says 80% of the people in Balochistan lack clean water. The infant mortality per 1000 people is 100 and higher than the national average of 108. The Breakdown of Literacy Rates of All Provinces report says literacy in Balochistan is the lowest in Pakistan. The women’s rate is 36.8% and the men’s is 69.5%. The unemployment rate in Balochistan is 9.13%. It is due to the lack of vocational training, nepotism, and favoritism. It is also due to pressure from military intelligence.

In concluding terms, Balochistan is rich in resources. It is a key geostrategic area. Its sea connects Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean. These seas play a big role in trade. However, it’s a vital place strategically. It’s also rich in resources. But, it’s the most marginalized region. The government’s unchanging policies are the reason for its marginalization. They always overlook its issues by naming them a complex matter and security problem.

Nevertheless, many reports results show that above-mentioned projects have not benefited ordinary Baloch. They only have benefited corrupt politicians, military high-ups, and death-squads. They whisk away people from many walks of life. They commit illicit deeds without fearing accountability. Mama Qadeer Baloch says, he has fifty thousand documented cases of forced disappearances.

Verily, if the developmental projects have failed to eradicate poverty and improve socio-economic condition of residing people nearby of other projects, Reko-Diq will only benefit stakeholders, corrupt political parties and military.