Shabir Ahmed Bezanjo
If there is an eye that can reflect on Balochistan, so know; geographically it ranks the largest of larges and is blessed with due natural resources too, including, Natural gas, Oil, Sulphur, Coal, Copper and etcetera. Despite having gained much resources the standard lives of this province come on roads along with the signs of justice, the standard lives of rich Balochistan stand in lines in wait of welfare founds. Moreover, the majority chon down trees for their energy needs in spite of being the neighbour of Sui Gas field. However, Balochistan doesn’t ask for any favour except the reserves which it extracts and demands regarding its own share. Because the history witnesses that Balochistan is entirely ignored through natural resources since the emergence of natural gas. Such as, Pakistan discovered its first gas field in Sui Dera Bugti Balochistan in 1952 and functioning started in 1955. Balochistan has produced 56% in total output of Pakistan’s natural gas, but by 2017 its contribution dropped to 22 pc, because some other gas fields have gradually emerged; Adhi gas field, Kandh Kot gas field, Qadirpur gas field and etcetera. Balochistan is also known the second largest gas producer only after Singh, as Sindh produces 63 percent of natural gas consumes only 38 percent while Balochistan produces 17 percent of natural gas consumes only 2 percent of it. However, Punjab hardly produces 10 percent of natural gas along with KP and its rate of consumption is 50%. In 2018-19 the share of Punjab increased by 1 percent from 50% to 51 pc in spite of 9.4 decrease in natural gas in Punjab, but the rate of consumption of natural gas remained same in other provinces. It’s a strange coincidence that the areas ( Balochistan and Sindh) produce gas have no access and the one which is fallowed by other provinces like Punjab is getting well access of natural gas. However, it’s been 60 years since the discovery of natural gas in Balochistan, only limited areas are given access of natural gas in instance, 14 town out of 34 districts. Despite, the accessibility of natural gas in few areas of Balochistan though public have to face troubles especially in the season of winter as areas like Quetta get extreme cold in winter season and due to low pressure of gas the people endure many troubles and even can’t cook. In further views, the majority of Balochistan as 60% isn’t given access of natural gas adopt the life of firewood, especially the citizens of rural region cut woods to lit the stoves and in result it obviously expresses the visible signs of deforestation. Deforestation, on what our government believes the destruction of environment and plans to grow more trees but forgets to provide the natural rights of people. In an unfortunate manner it’s being add that Sui which is the sub district of Dera Bugti, Balochistan situated in the distance of four miles from the gas field itself lacks of access. In 1980s, the gas transmission lines reached in Quetta along some other districts of Balochistan. However, by then the natural gas has been spread in some parts of Balochistan with low quality of pressure. Typically, in winter seasons cylinders are used in high rate because of low pressure of gas in cold areas. On the other hand, the public of Balochistan is being penalised with overbilling. As in the views of the report, the Sui southern gas company (SSGC) installs new meters on every year without any official clarity of changing meters, and public face hefty bills for low pressurized gas. Often people have to pay two bills as when the temperature of winter season goes high and the gas pressure comes bellow so the cylinders are used to meet the energy needs. But despite knowing this fact the SSGC presents gas bills and this obviously interprets alarming signs of poverty. Although, there has been several protests from poor citizens against the matter of overbilling. Additionally, majority move to Cities like Quetta for higher education from other districts of Balochistan as along natural gas Balochistan is ignored from education either. As, out of 34 districts only few areas have well educating system while districts like Lasbela and others have no good access of education, in result the students go towards such cities and here they meet with interminable bills of gas, consequently, poverty teases students to quit further education. The province which produces 4.5 billion tons copper, 273 million tons iron and 262 million tons coal. But when the discuss comes on to the supply of natural minerals or facilitation to Balochistan’s rural regions, so the government is nowhere found except when the point occurs of factories in Punjab. However, Balochistan’s rural lives are in extreme dearth of basic rights not only by natural gas also from education and the proper health care system. According to the article 158, the constitution of Pakistan supports Balochistan on this matter that every province must be facilitated by its own share. But here the law is quite opposite of the article or perhaps is in the favour of Balochistan, therefore, is taken unvalued. Meanwhile, province like Balochistan and Sindh are neglected even by good supplies of gas such as, Sindh with 121 Tehsil Head Quarters (THQs) only 100 have gained access of natural gas while Balochistan and KP both are deprived of access in the way they do the supply of the gas in the country. But Punjab whose production is noted under 4% of natural gas but is given access of 114 THQs out of 135 and as whole 97% of urban Punjab is prosperous with natural gas. While striking up the conversation on non-supply of natural gas to rural regions of Balochistan is considered sin as urbanized Balochistan still lacks of access let alone rural regions. However, despite being naturally blessed, the province cries of thrust, hunger and don’t know how worst would it be made to cry in further days. Because the people living on this land don’t even get the right to have two times of meal. Unfortunately, Balochistan is the province which in every regard gets only ignorance and the reason behind this is of politicians. As in the light of Sana Baloch’s speech in provisional assembly Balochistan, said that politicians are of two kinds, one that cultivates prosperity for the people and one that cultivates poverty for the people. But unfortunately, we have the politicians like poverty cultivators who only thing of themselves not of public and in this regard the question doesn’t go to the government because the politicians that we have are among us and if they, themselves, are the enemies of prosperity in the province so definitely ignorance occurs. On the other hand, the society we live gives much value to politicians than teachers. However, I undoubtedly say that when our nation learns to respect teachers by then prosperity becomes the part of our lives. While in further views of the experts, say that there are two Balochistan exit on the planet; one that cries of hunger and one that cuts trees despite being the honour of natural gas. While the other Balochistan is quite opposite that when any citizen of Balochistan moves aboard and there she would be asked of address and in answer she says that she is from Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan so the eyes of the foreigners will be found with the blaze of natural minerals, gold, coal, gas and sulphur. But here we know well the situation of ours that how hollow it is. Additionally, the half rural region of Balochistan is not even known as the citizen of Pakistan because there isn’t any particular research on these people’s lives that how do they survive or how there way of life is. As the majority ( live in mountainside areas of Balochistan) works only on progeniture of animals and cultivation, through this process the household needs are gained and the move towards cities isn’t considered important among such lives except when the appearance of diseases. While from government the rural Balochistan is completely taken aside, however, the urbanized Balochistan can hardly survive in the lights of bit availability of resources. But for rural lives there is no concept of education, no proper health care system and no accessibility of natural reserves. The absence of sheer will and commitment from government has brought Balochistan on the state of poverty. If there would have been well management for the development of the province, so the province could have possessed prosperity and the rural lives of Balochistan could have been given the facilities of health care system, educating system and natural minerals. Finally, the people of Balochistan must be given the equal rights as someone given in Lahore.
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