The tribal Chiefs and headmen were allowed to maintain their positions on

condition of loyalty to the British Government. Any doubt on that count

used to result in immediate removal and replacement of the unwanted tribal
Chief by a relative or another tribesman. Sometimes even new
Chieftainships would be introduced and scrupulously maintained In return
for certain privilees and monetary payments throuh pensions! the tribal
"eads proved useful in #eepin peace amon their respective tribes. $o
restrictions were put on such Chiefs in the matter of burdenin the tribesmen
on various e%cuses by imposin ta%es on threat of sendin them to British
&ails in case of non'compliance. "ere we see the unfortunate people of
Baluchistan deprived of educational! political! social and economic
development! with constant threats of facin lon terms of imprisonment at
the sweet will of the (British) *olitical Aent! or throuh him! of the tribal
Chiefs. The uly part of this double'eded policy was that while it served
the purpose of the British Government! it also helped them wholesale to
#eep intact the helpful+ illiteracy and inorance of the people! which plan
#ept the tribesmen in a calculated state of perpetual disunity and inter'tribal
warfare,.
The history of Balochistan! datin bac# to -... years! the area bein part of Irani! or
neihbourin empires! the understandin reached between /han of /alat and 0uaid'e'
A1am after 234-! the rebellion by the radical younsters aainst that deal! the repeated
military operations in the area! by Ayub /han! Bhutto! and 5usharraf! the mysterious
murder of A#bar Buti! the Aha1'e'"a6oo'e'Balochistan pac#ae by 7ardari! all are
events too well #nown to be re counted here.
8ver the years! the rulin elite has been pollutin the public mind with baseless
assumptions and storylines reardin Balochistan. This leaves little room for loical
debate on the province and on the appallin socio'economic and political realities that
have resulted in the Baloch people+s hostility to the state system.
9espite massive media outreach and the Internet revolution! the riid perception about
Balochistan and its people remains unchaned. :acts about Baloch society and its tribal
structure! as well as the outdated overnment'sustained tribal system in which corrupt
tribal chiefs are in collusion with the establishment are rarely analysed. These tribal
chiefs have played a leadin role in the wholesale destruction of the Baloch society.
The establishment+s standard narrative on the crisis in Balochistan revolves around such
standard assumptions as; the sardars and nawabs are the main cause of the province+s
socio'economic bac#wardness< the Baloch uprisin is forein'funded< and Balochistan is
fully empowered and overned by the locals.
$o serious efforts have been made to understand Balochistan beyond the fact that the
province is a mineral'rich reion that produces natural as! and is a colony populated by
tribal warlords and their impoverished sub&ects. There is no denyin that the power'
hunry tribal chiefs are widely responsible for Balochistan+s woes. But these sardars
derive their leitimacy from Islamabad! and are sustained by the overnment and the
civil'military'establishment. "owever! while the Baloch deeply respect their tribal
traditions and culture! this doesn+t hinder their participation in socio'economic
development.
The first universities! schools and other centres of learnin in Balochistan were
established by moderate and nationalist Baloch tribal chiefs who were staunch opponents
of colonial rule in the Subcontinent! particularly in Balochistan. In the early 23=.s!
$awab >ousuf A1i1 5asi established the first educational institution ? @ama'e'>ousufia
? in @hal 5asi. "e brouht revolutionary chanes in Baloch society by encourain
education and opposin the sardari system! despite bein a sardar himself. Bein very
concerned about the welfare of the Baloch youth! he widely campained for social and
political reforms in the province.
A ma&ority of ministers or local influential are $awabs! Sardars or Aaderas
with roots in the tribal System. The Sardari System is a
*rimitive way of e%ploitation still prevalent in Balochistan. The Sardar
demands ob&ect loyalty of his sub&ects and ensure it throuh
coercion and tyranny. A male tribal on attainin adulthood has to serve the
Sardar free for five years! before he can become eliible
to ta#e &ob independently or raise a family. Similar are the codes of conduct
for female sub&ects. Bvery tribal has to offer a oat or
sheep when Sardar is blessed with a Child or Sardar marriaes of his
dauhter or son. A tribal'men and women holds by nature are
a simple creature. They are inorant throuh mechani1ations of Sardars and
denied any access to fruits of modern ae. Sardars
have not allowed even construction of roads! what to spea# if schools and
hospitals.
The tribal system reconi1es no boundaries includin perhaps the
international boundaries. There is a crisis across tribal
population to and pro Afhanistan and Iran. 9ue to lac# of communication
and access alon the border! the people on both sides
enerally meet their daily re6uirements throuh barter e%chanes.
Smulin is only an e%tension of barter trade.
The rulin class in the province is product of the Sardari System. The Chief
5inister and most of the *rovincial 5inisters are
sardars. Cnder the tribal system! not only a sardar retains his fief under
overnment sanctions! but also maintains an army of Devies
at overnment e%pense.
The British bouht the loyalty o tribal Sardars throuh coercion and
money. The annual Sibi 5ela used to be the Sibi 9arbar in
colonial days! where sardars paid homae to the British Eesident by pullin
his cart upto the dias. In a tribal Society! where very little
has chanes oer years! everythin has to be paid for! even royalty. 5ost of
the Sardars! small or bi! are in the payroll of
Commissioners! 9eputy Commissioners or *olitical Aents. $ot
surprisinly! bureaucracy also ma#es a lot of money by sharin the
booty.
The sardars e%pect monetary reward for maintainin peace in their areas.
A#bar But and his sons receive aroun Es.2.. million
annually from the Sui :ields as so'called royalty. Besides they can fleece a
few lac of rupees every time they want! by usin stron
hand methods aainst the as field manaement. They can travel free from
Sui airport in **D aircraft. A couple of rooms in Serena
"otel 0uetta are always boo#ed for the Buti clan! of course! free or on
nominal chares.