In a major development, the government has finally contacted Baloch separatist leaders Harbiyar Mari and Ghazan Mari, presently self-exiled in London, to negotiate terms which can lead to both leaders give up their armed struggle and return to Pakistan to resume their public life
Both the leaders had been in touch — directly and indirectly — with the government for many months.
The only issue that has stalled the process leading to a formal dialogue is the formation of a high-powered delegation with which the exiled Baloch leaders want to negotiate.
They want the delegation to be not only sufficiently powerful, but also have strong representation from the federal government and backing from the armed forces. They are least interested in Jirga comprising Balochistan government members or CM Dr. Malik, which means they want to talk to authorities from the federation, an official in touch with the leaders confided to the media.
Another key demand reportedly made by the two Baloch leaders is the withdrawal of all cases registered against them in Balochistan.
They have also sought permission to return and take full charge of their erstwhile estates as held by them before the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti. In other words, they want full restoration of their status and powers as tribal heads.
One of the factors worrying the government in case it entertains these demands is to analyse and judge how such a rapprochement would impinge the morale and status of forces and personalities who stood by government in its fight against militancy in the province.
The new arrangement, if it is allowed to go ahead, threatens their existing status and casts a shadow on any role they can play in a future realignment of political chessboard in the province.
Sources confide to The News that the government is in a visible state of confusion, as it wants to win both the estranged Baloch leaders without necessarily alienating those who have provided the government and the state of Pakistan with much-needed support in difficult times.
As the situation stands, the eldest brother of Harbiyar is already in Pakistan and is enjoying full paraphernalia of a tribal chief.
On young brother’s return to Pakistan, London-based brothers are not in a mood to accept his leadership in Mari tribe.
It is worth mentioning that in the absence of Mari brothers’ absence from Pakistan, Dr Allah Nazar had strengthened his command on Baloch youths and Harbiyar had serious differences with him.
Now Allah Nazar is not present on ground and Harbiyar wants to fill the gap as soon as possible and strengthen his position on ground. There are different reports about Dr Allah Nazar but the fact is that there is no trace of him in Balochistan nor he has been in touch with any rebels since July.
The Khan of Qalat and Brahamdagh Bugti are already in touch with the government and have expressed their willingness to come back to Pakistan on certain conditions. One of them is to withdraw murder case against Khan of Qalat in Rawalpindi.
A source that is in touch with all these leaders told this correspondent that besides local circumstances in the respective tribes of these leaders international atmosphere is not as helpful for these leaders as it had been a few years back.
He said these leaders, especially the Khan of Qalat, couldn’t muster international support, as he and his other friends were expecting.
Then they are not used to live in western cities in small apartments and even servants are not available to them. In Pakistan, they had their armies and servants to take care of them.
