In his article 'What if they get stingers' (April 23) Mubashir Hassan points to a very serious situation developing in Balochistan, in case the rebel fighters manage to acquire heat-seeking, shoulder-fired missiles which turned USSR's near-victory into an ignominious defeat in Afghanistan. The United States has nearly clinched a deal with Afghans for its forces' long-term stay, well after 2014, in huge underground bases in Afghanistan. Obviously, this is not just to stop the re-emergence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan but to cater to their wider interests in the region, which are to redraw the map of certain Muslim states, by creating an independent Balochistan and a greater Pashtonistan, sorting out Iran and containing China, and in their endeavours, the Americans have the worthy support of India and of course Israel, which has declared Pakistan to be an even greater threat than Iran, because of its nuclear arsenal.
However, even bigger threat than the stinger missiles is the attitude of our leaders who do not at all seem to be serious about the Balochistan situation and limit their efforts to mere statements and cosmetic measures which are nowhere near the action required.
I remember a leader said some years ago, "No province could split from Pakistan on its own," meaning that unless they had outside assistance, we would beat them into submission. Now, a whole lot of countries are able and willing to assist Balochistan in separating from Pakistan but still the attitude does not seem to have changed much. At a time, when the government needed to concentrate fully on the Balochistan issue, it is tied up fully, fighting 'valiantly' on various self-created fronts, and in consequence, is left with no time, energy or inclination to attend to serious issues which, if left unattended any longer, could God forbid, end in the break up of whatever is left of Pakistan.
Luckily, the situation is still not beyond redemption as a successful public meeting by Imran Khan in Quetta, and statements from moderate Baloch leaders show. However, the situation demands serious, immediate action and not the half-measures that have been taken so far.
Perhaps fresh elections, with new leadership emerging, could provide an answer to Balochistan and other serious problems that Pakistan is facing.
S.R.H. HASHMI,
Karachi, April 23.