Rights and Employment, Not Force or Bullets, Can Restore Peace in Balochistan: Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch
**Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta):** Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan and MPA Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch has said that the situation in Balochistan cannot be improved through killings, coercion, bullets, or military operations, warning that the province is standing on a “heap of explosives.”
Addressing a meeting in Gwadar and speaking to various delegations, he said that the use of force, oppression, and operations had been tried in the past and would only deepen hatred, injustice, and instability if continued. He stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved by granting people their rights, listening to public grievances, and providing employment opportunities to the youth.
Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman questioned why Balochistan’s resources are not being spent on the province itself and why its youth are denied jobs despite the abundance of natural wealth. He also criticized the absence of dialogue, asking why negotiations are not pursued and why “incompetent and rejected individuals” were imposed through what he termed as rigged elections and Form-47.
He said that corruption, poverty, and illiteracy continue to worsen due to the lack of practical measures. According to him, people in Balochistan are deprived of their democratic right to peaceful protest and are even prevented from engaging in legal trade. He added that justice is scarce, democracy is absent, and genuine democratic forces have been sidelined in favor of those ruling on instructions.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader said that educated and capable youth are suffering from poverty, unemployment, frustration, and anger, while there is no one to listen to their problems. He urged those benefiting from Balochistan’s coastline, minerals, and other resources to take serious steps to resolve the province’s issues.
Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman warned that reliance on force and coercive operations has previously intensified problems and will further increase deprivation and unrest if continued. He called on powerful elites, ruling authorities, and state institutions to embrace the people of Balochistan, ensure rights, employment, peace, and development, instead of resorting to humiliation and force.
He said that despite being blessed with borders, a long coastline, and vast mineral resources, Balochistan remains deprived, with no industrial development or government employment opportunities. He also criticized the closure of borders with Iran and Afghanistan for legal trade, questioning how impoverished and unemployed youth are expected to survive under such conditions.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader further alleged that instead of focusing on peace and security, security forces are engaged in controlling trade at checkpoints, borders, and coastal areas. He reaffirmed that Jamaat-e-Islami will continue its struggle for peace, protection of rights, development, and prosperity in Balochistan.
