It seems like the time has come for Pakistan, keeping the insurgency in Balochistan in view, to learn a lesson from China.
China’s western regions, due to being situated at a long distance from the coast, were very backward and underdeveloped. They were almost deprived of many resources. This underdevelopment, backwardness and sense of deprivation caused the emergence of a rebellion revolution among the people of the western regions of China.
Several revolutionary groups and anti-government militias came into existence. This phenomenon kept much resistance on the way to develop these regions.
Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese revolutionary and statesman, believed that this rebellion revolution in Western China stemmed primarily from poverty and economic crises. In 1978 Xiaoping formed the Western Development Strategy that was designed to bring economic reforms and accelerate the development of infrastructure in China’s western regions.
China implemented this strategy by connecting these western areas with developed provinces by railway tracks. Industries were formed and many people from developed provinces like Shanghai and Beijing came and settled in these western regions of China. The Western Development Strategy was mainly designed to bring prosperity and eliminate the threat of rebellion.
It seems like the time has come for Pakistan, keeping the insurgency in Balochistan in view, to learn a lesson from China.
Like China, it would be wise if Pakistan adopts similar strategies for Balochistan to bring economic reforms by developing infrastructure and setting up industrial points. This can help generate opportunities for the people living in areas engulfed by violence and insurgency.
Perhaps militants in Pakistan would contemplate surrendering their weapons in exchange for a normal life and greater economic opportunities. Islamabad should no longer delay acting upon such strategies and it can surely tackle the insurgency in Balochistan as China did in its western region.
Jahanzaib Naeem is a student of Journalism at International Islamic University, Islamabad. Read other articles by Jahanzaib.
