Quetta, October 26: While the human rights situation is not satisfactory in any part of Pakistan, the problems being faced by the people of Balochistan can be likened to the plight of tailenders in the canal system.

Increased concerns at denial of provincial rights and growing military encroachment upon civil administration, exclusion of people from affecting their basic rights, unsatisfactory functioning of subordinate courts and the various branches of administration, evidence of police collusion with criminal elements and the drug mafia's accession to strength figure prominently in the findings of HRCP's mission to Balochistan.

Responding to the persistently expressed anxieties of the Balochistan population, HRCP organized a fact-finding mission. Teams comprising HRCP office-bearers and council members and supported by activists held inquiries and met with local representatives at Gwadar, Turbat, Khuzdar, Loralai and Quetta. While a detailed report based on the mission's observations will be ready after some time, HRCP deems it necessary to release a preliminary report.

At all places visited by the fact-finding teams, serious complaints about continued denial of provincial autonomy were received. The people were quite agitated about their exclusion from decision-making at both federal and provincial levels and resistance to the LFO was vigorously expressed. Anxiety at erosion of rule of law, declining faith in the judicial system and procedure and difficulties in access to justice was quite pronounced. There was considerable dissatisfaction with the multi-discipline judicial system, especially with the way the Qazi courts functioned.

A matter of serious concern to the people is the Gwadar mega-project. The idea of Gwadar development is meaningless without improvement in quality in life of the local people. The local community has apparently not been taken into confidence in the port city's master plan and is acutely unhappy at the authorities' failure to address its apprehensions, especially those related to the displacement of the fisher folk and disruption of their economic life. There is urgent need to end the exclusion of the people from decision-making and strike a rational balance between the demands of development and the indigenous community's right to their land and traditional economic activities. The mission is of the view that obduracy in ignoring the genuine demands and grievances of the people will accentuate their alienation from the state and sharpen tensions in the society. It is also necessary to take note of the allegations of massive irregularities in land settlement operations and allotment practices as well as the local community's need for assistance in skill development in various aspects of Gwadar port development, proper storage facilities and protection against price manipulation.

The fact-finding teams noted the following as some of the principal concerns of the people in Balochistan:

1. Apart from their complaints of exclusion from decision-making and interference with their rights on their resources, local communities are suffering from lack of employment opportunities and denial of jobs, even as unskilled labour. The denial of rights to livelihood is often mentioned.

2. There is widespread anxiety at the plans to establish new cantonments. Besides, grievances stemming from the military's increasing involvement with all aspects of civilian life, including the working of the police and local bodies, are on the rise. The intelligence agencies are regularly blamed for interference with the administration and citizen's rights to security and personal freedoms.

3. At several places, such as Turbat, police collusion with criminal elements, especially the drug mafia, is a major problem. There are widespread complaints of the involvement of the Frontier Constabulary, the coastguards and ANF with drug barons. The people are afraid of complaining, as the fear of drug traffickers' retaliation is strong.

4. Considerable evidence has been presented about the strengthening of the sardari system with extremely deleterious effect on the system of justice, the functioning of the local bodies, the rights of women, minorities and the socially underprivileged.

5. The institutions supposed to look after the people's needs in the area of education and health are inadequate in number and suffer from lack of both human and material resources. The disadvantaged are deprived of even the scanty facilities the elite is allowed to enjoy.

6. While at some places, the traditional tolerance for differences of belief has survived, and a decline in the anti-Zikri campaign is a welcome development, quite a few incidents reveal unwelcome tendencies towards discrimination against the minority communities and sects. The acts of violence against the minorities have declined but they appear afraid of articulating their concerns.

7. The conditions of detention at prisons are quite below the minimum acceptable standards. The worst sufferers are juveniles and women.

HRCP plans to present specific recommendations on ways to meet the problems and human rights concerns in its detailed report, but the need to end the Balochistan population's exclusion from matters affecting its collective interests and individual freedoms is already manifest.

The prominent members of the fact-finding mission were: Ms Hina Jilani, HRCP Secretary-General, and Council Members Syed Iqbal Haider, Mr Kamran Arif, Mr Rochi Ram, Mr Peter Jacob, Mr Joseph Francis, Mr Asif Khan, Ms Uzma Noorani, Mr Roland DeSouza, Ms Shataj Qizalbash and Mr Jam Saqi.

The mission members met with officials, police officers, lawyers, NGO representatives, nazims and a number of human rights and social activists.