Labourers’ murder

May 6th, 2018

THE unremitting violence in Balochistan has claimed another set of victims. On Friday, migrant workers installing a mobile-phone tower in a remote area along the border with Iran were attacked as they slept in their camp. Six workers were killed and one injured. The assailants escaped on motorcycles before security personnel arrived at the location in Kharan district. There have been militant attacks in Kharan before and the district’s vast geographical size, its border with Iran and sparse population make the provision of security especially challenging in a province that already hosts a bewildering array of militants. Yet, it is apparent that major lapses in security occurred in the latest events. According to officials, a No Objection Certificate was not obtained for the workers, suggesting that security personnel in the area may not have been aware of potential targets of militants working in the remote region. In addition, the contractor who hired the migrant labourers did not provide adequate security for the workers’ camp. The manner of the labourers’ death suggests they were either poorly protected or utterly defenceless. The grim realities of Balochistan put a greater onus on employers to protect workers and strictly adhere to security protocols.

Certainly, the root causes of militancy in the province, particularly with regard to Baloch separatists, cannot be addressed without an overhaul of security policy in the province. While no group has immediately claimed responsibility for the killings on Friday, the location of the crime and the identities of those killed suggest separatist elements may have carried out the attack. That requires unequivocal and forceful condemnation. Targeting the most vulnerable of people — fellow citizens from another province seeking to earn an honourable living in the harshest of circumstances — is a reprehensible act. It makes the possibility of political dialogue with separatists more difficult and can only deepen animosity within sections of the state and the public against them. What is also obvious is that the security paradigm in Balochistan is flawed. With a range of militant threats to contend with, political dialogue with separatists should have been a priority. Dialogue could quickly reduce the levels of violence in Balochistan as well as free up security forces to deal with groups with whom dialogue is not an option. It is to be hoped that the upcoming election campaign will feature a genuine policy debate on Balochistan.