QUETTA: Virtually, the existence of Pakistan came under serious attack when Malik Ghulam Mohammad, an erstwhile Governor-General of Pakistan, dismissed the Khawaja Nazimuddin Government with the aim to seize full control over the Government by the civil and military bureaucracy. It was an attack on the Federalism and made a serious move to make it a unitary form of Government doing away with the provinces, including East Pakistan.

He seized power with the support of then the Army Chief, General Ayub Khan and the civilian bureaucracy became the real rulers with the support of General Ayub Khan. Afterwards, democracy was never restored besides a significant development on the political front that Yahya Khan held free and free elections in East Pakistan and not in West Pakistan.

It became clear during the anti-Martial Law and anti-Ayub agitation that East Pakistan, by all means, is ungovernable as hundreds of thousands of people used to defy curfew in all parts of the Eastern Wing compelling the military Junta to force Muslim Bengal out of Pakistan.

One additional reason was that Bengalis were demanding complete control over the State of Pakistan, its resources and administration with majority share in the defence forces and the civil bureaucracy. All these things were unacceptable to any ordinary person in West Pakistan leaving aside the ruling Junta under the leadership of General Yahya Khan.

Thus the elections were fair in East Pakistan giving free hand to Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman and his powerful Awami League to sweep the elections and win 167 NA seats out of 169.

However, the elections were rigged in West Pakistan in favour of late Bhutto and his new PPP for political reason or the Junta wanted a man like Bhutto to confront Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman at the national level. Even man like Mumtaz Daulatana was dumped in this political game. On Bhutto’s meritorious services he was ultimately given powers after break up of Pakistan as a reward and it was a general belief among the political analysts at that time. The Army stood discredited following the breakup of Pakistan.

Since then, there is a controlled democracy with massive influence of civil and military bureaucracy in running the affairs of State and governing the provinces and the chosen representatives have taken the back seat in the real power game.

For all practical purposes, the present system is unitary form of Government and the provinces have no feeling that they are autonomous and independent within the framework of one Pakistan.

There are constant political and administrative onslaughts on the provincial Governments by the Federal bureaucracy and at will to undermine the interests of smaller Federating Units sending a loud and clear message that they are subservient to the Islamabad bureaucracy.

In recent months, there is some feeling in official circles and those circles expressed their opinion that Balochistan, the smallest and weakest Federating Unit of Pakistan, should also have the right to elect or dislodge the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The elements want a sense of participation in power

It is a significant change in the mindset of those powerful circles in the Government suggesting more and decisive powers for Balochistan in the State. Presumably, the views were developed following the recent developments in the region or probably the Baloch conflict took a longer period to subside militancy. It is a mere guess and credible sources did not divulge the reasons for the change in the mindset about Balochistan or other provinces.

However, Pakistan is a Federation and Balochistan voluntarily joined the Federation. Balochistan remained an independent and sovereign country for more than five centuries and the Khan-i-Baloch was Amir-i-Balochistan. The social media displayed a picture of the king of Balochistan who ruled his country 500 years ago. There were three independent sovereign States in the region—Balochistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

British colonial rulers attacked Balochistan and destroyed it and divided the Baloch Mainland among Iran and Afghanistan and the mainland joined Pakistan by signing the accession treaty. Balochistan was divided into three parts besides handing over of Jacobabad, Khandkot, Kashmore to Sindh and Dera Ghazi Khan and adjoining plains of Dera Ismail to the Punjab and KPK.

The Pakistani rulers mistreated Baloch people and Balochistan and wiped out it from the world map by merging it into One Unit which was main cause of political upheaval sine 1950s. Days before the One Unit, the Baloch political leadership accepted Pakistan as their ultimate home and this policy continued till the Field Marshal launched his military action to crush the movement against One Unit. Later on there was a united front by Balochs, Sindhis and the Pakhtuns under the leadership of Pakistan National Party, led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Now-a-days, the Federating Units are coming under increasing pressure from the Federal Government and its very powerful bureaucracy undermining the legitimate rights and constitutional powers of the Federating Units. Balochistan and Sindh were made specific targets by the naïve rulers who inflicted serious damage to Pakistan with its undisputed concept as a sovereign State.

There is a need to review all the past policies against the Federating Units strengthening the provinces to make Pakistan stronger in all respects. The Federal Government should hand over all the departments and organisations operating in the provinces to the Provincial Government and the Federal Employees too should be under the discipline of the Provincial authorities. It is the real spirit of Federalism and empowering the Federating Units.

The concept of ‘undemocratic centralism’ had miserably failed and the Pakistan Government should revive the real concept of Pakistan which made the country a democratic Federation and the Federating Units enjoying equal rights at par with the Central Government. Let us implement the founding and fundamental documents of Pakistan.

The Federating Units are not subservient to the Central Government and its powerful bureaucracy as Pakistan is a voluntary Federation. Pakistan will progress under the concept of voluntary Federation making the Federating Units more powerful and effective in governing the country.