Balochistan. Often an eleven-letter bleak headline, darkened in the blood of its inhabitants killed in acts of terrorism. In the national discourse Balochistan always appears to be at the bottom of the list of the top priorities of almost all incumbent governments. Decades of institutional–at times intentional, sometimes accidental–neglect bordering on apathy widening the schisms between the haves and have-nots also became an accelerant for the already marked disconnect and distance that a certain part of the Baloch population has felt for and with Pakistan since its inception in 1947.
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan in terms of its size, and hugely immense natural resources and human talent seems to be in a perpetual struggle with its status of being a backbencher in the collective national consciousness.
Security personnel prevent protesting teachers from marching towards the Prime Minister Secretariat at Upper Chattar Chowk in Muzaffarabad on Wednesday. Online
MUZAFFARABAD: Over a dozen schoolteachers and two police personnel were injured on Wednesday after riot police used batons and tear gas shells to disperse a big procession of male tutors, accusing them of violating an “understanding” with the administration.
Around 68 teachers, including some pensioners, had been taken into custody for “rioting in a sensitive area,” Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Kiyani told
Dawn.
Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the incident, representatives of All Azad Kashmir Schoolteachers Organisation threatened against launching a “state-wide agitation” if their demand was not met and their detained colleagues were not released by the government within 24 hours.