An Assessment of Public Opinion in Balochistan about Federal Form of Government in Pakistan

Abstract

Almost every state or society particularly a pluralistic one is composed of various nationalities or sub-national groups whereas every segment has its own distinct identity being a source of pride and strength for its survival. In relatively homogenous societies, the process of nation-building though not easy is at least less cumbersome whereas in pluralistic societies this process demands a lot of hard work on the part of the elite who must exhibit vision, wisdom, foresight and patience; because such societies are always fraught with the danger that any of the nationalities or sub-national group may dominate the others. The societies having a considerable level of social, cultural and linguistic heterogeneity hence horizontally/vertically divided and cross-divided in the pursuit of their distinct preferences and priorities can hardly be united under a single administrative structure nevertheless they can be persuaded to form a union under some common government.  For this purpose, a federal arrangement may be suitable option because it provides for unity in diversity rather than unity in its absolute terms. The federation of Pakistan, since its vey inception, is struggling to create the said unity particularly with reference to the situation in Balochistan which is facing a long and multi-faceted unrest posing a substantial challenge for the federation. The present study empirically explores the nature of grievances of the people of Balochistan with respect to the federation of Pakistan by conducting a field survey and establishes that majority of the people of Balochistan do not believe that the federal design in Pakistan is functioning in its true letter and spirit with reference to Balochistan.