As Martin Luther King Jr aptly said, “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

The Baloch nationalist political parties in Balochistan may have committed blunders in wheeling and dealing with the establishment. On the political gauge, Baloch nationalists stood at which side of the history is a bit confusing. It looks like these nationalists are scrambling to get the best bargains with the establishment. They have always relied upon the patronage of the undemocratic forces, obsessed with the belief that through this alone could they ascend to power corridor.

On a social media forum, the supporters of the two biggest nationalist groups, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and National Party (NP) exchanged words, arguing with one another. They have made one thing clear: politics of mudslinging and vindictive politics have taken over the politics of ideology in Balochistan. Straight forward politics is missing on the part of leader among nationalists.

BNP-M also recently supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf government in passing the budget for the financial year 2019-20 in return for a renewed six-point agenda. The critics from National Party cavilled at this paradoxical policy of BNP-M that its leadership did not stand on its earlier statement on joining the opposition camp at centre. The diehard supporters of National Party, and some others in the intellectual circles, heaped criticisms on Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s political stance that Mengal’s appeal for addressing a six-point agreement did not elicit much of a response from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf for the last 10 months, despite being the biggest ally at centre. Yet again, PTI tricks Mengal’s group.

However, BNP’s political activists and its fervent supporters sought to deflect criticisms to counter their rival groups in the social media forum.

Claiming to be one of the flag bearers of nationalist politics, National Party now seems doubtful that only using the slogan of Baloch nationalism and throwing muds on harsh rivals would help it regain the political space that National Party had lost.

The history of PPP and PML-N notes that they have always turned a blind eye towards Balochistan

They are, however, still politically motivated to consider Balochistan National Party-Mengal as a bastion of true nationalist forces in Balochistan.

There are those who want it to stay in the saddle.

But, time and again, the empty slogans and unfulfilled pledges by the federation made people’s hope dwindle away. Akhtar Mengal’s six-point agreements with the PTI had made no headway so far. BNP-M’s top leadership has fought off multiple trials, arrests and imprisonment. Any wrong political decision would falter its popularity.

When we look at the multiparty conference that was held in Islamabad by the opposition parties, it proved nothing more than yet another exercise in rhetoric. The meeting marked the third time that opposition parties gathered to discuss politics and a joint course of action, but without any clear strategy. They’ve failed to yield concrete plans or create a sense of hope among people suffering the consequences of a shoot-up economy. Obviously, neither the opposition parties have a magic wand to heal the wounds inflicted on Balochistan nor could they hold sway over Mengal group. Nothing good would come of APC. Akhtar Mengal should not have missed the chance to join them. If the opposition parties’ motive is to topple the government, it does not count–anything impressive–to address Baloch political issues nor does it redress Mengal’s grievances. The question also arises whether the APC devised any policy mechanism to resolve the Baloch issue.

The history of the two biggest mainstream political parties, PPP and PML-N, notes that they have always turned a blind eye towards Balochistan.

In 1997, Mengal’s government was at squabbles with the then Nawaz Sharif’s government. Pakistan People’s Party is also not remembered in good name as it had a known record of backing a military operation on the then Baloch nationalist forces in the 1970s in Balochistan.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal took it as a final resort and chose to sit in the ruling party’s camp in the hope that he would convince the PTI for its six-point demands, which were earlier signed by two parties that helped its ally form a government at the centre. BNP-M’s decision to stay with the ruling party may prove rightful, provided the PTI government fulfils its six-point agreement.

However, an impression seems to suggest that otherwise the PTI government, like many other previous governments at the federation level, have a long history of dwelling upon a petty slogan of resolving the Baloch political issue. The actual progress on the ground has always been scrapped.

Sadly, in this 21st century, all tales of neglect and exploitation make Balochistan still look as it looked some hundred years ago.

Or, in some fairly obvious examples, in most of the towns and villages in far-flung areas of Balochistan, people are living without clean water, medical care, protection and even food.

It gives medieval outlooks in Balochistan that people still live in reed-built huts in semi-nomadic shelter styles, where roofs are supported with trunks of date palm trees. Women’s daily jobs include walking for miles to fetch water and baking bread for families. The agony of education in Balochistan is beyond description. There are reports of large scale human rights violations from Balochistan almost every day. Not a day passes by when the families of missing persons do not knock on some door for justice, but to no avail. Either they will never hear of their missing relatives again or find their dead bodies dumped somewhere. No legal recourse seems to be in sight for the families of missing persons. Every day, horrifying images breed a sense of alienation across the war-torn province. Any question that exposes the unjust policy of the government towards Balochistan does not make headline in Pakistani mainstream media.

Anecdotal seems to suggest otherwise: the situation in Balochistan is far more complex than deprivations.

It is necessary for political leadership in Pakistan to have their role well-laid towards the Baloch political issue. The nationalist groups in Balochistan need the power of unity. They should spare Balochistan the power politics that has run down the province and constrained its socio-political growth.

The history has plenty of lessons for the federation by those, who shoved Baloch grievances under the carpet. Those mistakes cannot afford to be repeated.

The writer is the member of Youth Parliament of Pakistan. He is a freelance journalist and researcher. He tweets @masood_rind