Siddiq Baloch was a Pakistani senior political economist and journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of the English daily Balochistan Express (Quetta), the Urdu daily Azadi, and the English Weekly Express (Quetta). For about 29 years, he also wrote columns for the Dawn daily on a regular basis. He was an expert on social, political, and economic issues in Balochistan.
Early Life and Education
Siddiq Balouch was born in the area of Chakiwara near Lyari in Pakistan’s ‘commercial capital’ Karachi. Later, he moved to Quetta, Balochistan, in 1990.
Balouch went to a local primary school in Karachi. In 1959, he did his Matriculation from the renowned Sindh Madrasatul Islam School. He was enrolled in SM College in 1961 and completed his studies in 1964. Balouch received his master’s degree in economics from the University of Karachi in 1966.
Political Career
Siddiq Balouch became involved in politics from a young age. He was elected as President of the Students’ Union at SM College as a student from 1963 to 1964.
He had been involved in the Anti-One Unit movement and a campaign against three-year degree programs. He had also been an active member of the left-wing National Students Federation. In 1962, he was among the pioneers of the Baloch Students Organisation, and in 1966, he rose to the position of senior vice president.
From 1972 to 1973, Balouch was associated with the National Awami Party (NAP) and worked for four months as the press secretary for NAP’s Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, who was the governor of Balochistan at that time. Balouch was imprisoned for five years when President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto dismissed the NAP government on the grounds that he was involved in the infamous Hyderabad Conspiracy. He was only released after General Zia ul Haq overthrew Bhutto’s government.
In August of 2008 Siddiq Balouch travelled to Sri Lanka for three days with Prime Minister Gillani.
Balouch was among the leaders who celebrated the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government’s return to power in February 2008, mainly because new President Asif Ali Zardari was a Baloch who had “defeated a dictator with his political might.”
Journalism Career
He is one of the journalists that the Pakistani and foreign media most often mentions when it comes to stories pertaining to Balochistan. Over his career as a journalist, he had travelled widely.
He runs an Urdu newspaper Azaadi and was also the editor of the Balochistan Express.
As an Author
In January 2004, at a ceremony hosted by the literary group Daira, Balouch’s book ‘A Critical Comment on the Political Economy of Balochistan’ was published.