The sixth national census scheduled to commence this month is bound to be eventful in Balochistan. Comprising of two phases, the first round of the census featuring House Listing Operation will start on April 5 and end on April 19 whereas the second phase focusing on Population and Housing Census will be conducted in August and September. Although the national census, which is held after every ten years, was supposed to take place in 2008, it was postponed because of unpredictable political and security situation.The census will document a broad area of subjects such demography and social indicators.
The Balochistan Assembly, Baloch nationalist parties and pro-independence armed groups are all silently observing the national census for different reasons and with varying future plans.
On its part, the Balochistan Assembly was given a grim reminder during its previous session. Speaking at a point of order Mir Habib-ur-Rehman Mohammad Hassani drew the attention of Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhoothani about the possibility of counting illegal Afghan refugees in the upcoming census. The minister recalled that several Afghan refugees lived in Quetta illegally and were likely to be counted as the local residents in an effort to cause demographic imbalance in the Baloch-dominated province. The minister’s concerns were endorsed by another fellow Baloch minister, Mir Shah Nawaz Marri, who said it was unfair with the local populations to count the Afghan refugees living in the outskirts of Quetta in Khrotabad, Pashtunabad and Hazara Town.
Ironically, members of the Balochistan Assembly who had been elected from Quetta showed their complete ignorance on the matter. They said neither they knew the exact number of the illegal immigrants nor were aware about the official plans to count the Afghan refugees. The last word one heard from the Speaker was the issuance of instructions to the Secretary of the Balochistan Assembly to find out the actual situation from the concerned authorities and “educate” the provincial legislature.
This is a very serious matter which does not have to be handed over to the Secretary of the Balochistan Assembly. It has to be tabled and discussed on the floor of the assembly in the presence of the Chief Minister, members of the cabinet, leaders of all political parties and, above all, the media.
Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the second Afghan War after 9/11, hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees have taken shelter in Balochistan. A vast majority of these refugees entered Balochistan illegally but were soon patronized by certain sections in the country’s Establishment to be pitted against the Baloch. Thus, they were issued fake national identity cards and the right to possess property.
Those refugees who were documented legally were not repatriated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) under different pretexts. A few refugees voluntarily agreed to be repatriated to Afghanistan with a little financial assistance per family. Yet, many of them crossed the border and entered into Balochistan once again to get support from the UN once again. Thus, the cycle of registration, repatriation and re-entry has continued for several years now.
The bulk of problems pertaining to law and order, spread of drugs and religious radicalization in Balochistan is attributed to the Afghan refugees. The Frontier Corps (FC), which is responsible for checking the border with Afghanistan for smuggling and illegal crossing, paradoxically, covertly endorses both the activities because an overwleming majority of the FC personnel, at least 95%, comes from the Khyber Pashtunkhawa province and share the same language, history and culture with those who illegally cross the border.
The Afghan refugees no longer solely live in Quetta, the provincial capital. They have already made their entry in Baloch-dominated districts of Noshki and Dalbandin as well. In some places, they have taken control of a significant portion of the local economy, leaving the local Balochs disillusioned and deprived of the same opportunities.
The Balochistan National Party (BNP) has welcomed the census but has not formally stated its stance and strategy about the Afghan refugees. The Pashtunkhawa Milli Awami Party, on the other hand, has historically backed the presence of Afghan refugees inside Balochistan for political reasons as they serve as a vote bank for the Pashtun nationalist party. Similarly, the right-wing Jammiat Ulema-e-Islam, which is very influential in the Pashtun districts, supports the presence of the refugees for the same political reason.
However, the most significant development comes from the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), a fierce armed group with a strong base in Mekran region (comprising of Turbat, Gwadar and Panjgur districts). In a fresh statement has asked the Balochs to boycott the census. Recently, BLF recently claimed responsibility for killing nine personnel of the Pakistan Army in the port city of Gwada.
According to BLF, the census is only meant to please the pro-parliament political parties whereas the Baloch, in its words, should relinquish their support to any such move that encourages parliamentary politics against what it calls the Baloch quest for liberation.
Unlike the 1998 census which was conducted by the Pakistan Army, this year’s countrywide exercise will be administeredby local government teachers. Hence, the BLF has warned all Baloch teachers not to participate in the whole process. Otherwise, it warned, they will be targeted.
The BLF threat cannot be ignored given its increasing influence and operations in Baloch areas. In addition, some teachers who in the past snubbed the armed groups’ call concerning singing the national anthem or displaying the Pakistani flag, were killed. Therefore, it is unwise to ignore such threats.
The government strategy to hold peaceful and transparent census has still not been unfolded yet. Only time will tell if the government succeeds in accomplishing the census by addressing the Baloch concerns about the Afghan refugees. Likewise, we have to wait and see the response of the government teachers in the wake of the BLF warning.
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