THE SOCIAL ISSUES OF BALUCHISTAN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE THROUGH A WINDOW Like the part of a body, cut deep

p with wounds, causing immense pain to the rest of the system, Baluchistan is facing a situation very close to the suffering caused by deep wounds, a pain which can never be healed if the government chooses to adopt the similar political strategies as it has for almost 30 years Baluchistan is one of the largest province of Pakistan and highly enriched with minerals, yet still faces the neglection of federal government, owing to political interferences. One may ask how a land so endowed with rich treasures can offer its residents the worst living standards in the world. The prospect of Baluchistan is so bleak and it is evidenced by the fact that people who reside there do not have an access of basic necessities of life. A person who can afford meals twice a day is considered to be very lucky since food shortages are a common sight. Natural gas is substituted by kerosene oil and wood fires, not to mention the fact that almost all the industrial gas for Pakistans trade is supplied by Balochistan. People living standards have fallen to such an extent that they can no longer afford ovens, let alone proper accommodations or education. Laws and rules in Baluchistan have ceased to exist. Riots and massacre is pretty common and rather than to take effective steps to rectify the situation, the government chooses to act like a bystander. This is the question that we all need to ask ourselves; have we progressed in this 21st century or regressed even worse than before. Women killing in the name of honor, children hanged to death if they portray a slightest mischief are the norms of the day. The worst rituals and abandoned practices are still carried on due to depravity of educational, ethical and moral values while the government, instead to intervene and ban such practices, claim to be ignorant of such issues. What makes the matter worse is that the military is continuing its course of operation there, crushing the rebellion, the people outcry for at least an access to food and shelter in the most heinous manner. It is a fairly common sight to find women raped and mutilated, their men tortured to death, children beaten and traded as sex slaves. The value of human life has decreased to such an extent that it is considered cheaper to die but expensive to live. Mothers have to face the hardest choice at the birth of their child; either forgo their lives or the baby because there is not sufficient food available to sustain both of them. The government has yet once again set a fairly low level budget for the development of Balochistan even though a major share of export revenue is earned from this province. The government justifies this action by claiming that the region is depopulated, not knowing that the depopulation did not only occur due to climatic factors but also lack of access of basic necessities. Baluchistans dilemma has received the attention of foreign intelligence agencies including our neighboring state India but has obviously failed to attract the attention of federal government, thanks to the bureaucrats whom personal interests always conflict with the national affairs, causing the window of prosperity closed for common men, especially for Baluch locals.