Research Methodology

In any piece of academic inquiry, engagement with research methodology is essential to produce quality research; this involves reflexivity about the processes and explanations of all those steps with which the researcher is engaged throughout the research project. It highlights the issues and questions such as collection of data, choosing tools for the collection of data and its analysis. In the

realm of social sciences there are various methods of research but three of them are widely in use. These are: qualitative, quantitative and a mixture of the two, called mixed research method. The word quality “refers to what kind, to the essential character of something”, while “the word quantity refers to how much, how large, the amount of something” (Kvale, 1996, p.67). Therefore, quantitative research method is concerned with measurement and quantification of data; it determines the quantity or amount of a substance or a social phenomenon, while qualitative research method is concerned with qualitative phenomenon involving quality. The former involves numbers and uses digits in the form of tables, charts and graphs using different computer related programmes such as Social Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while the latter is non-numerical and more descriptive and explanatory in nature. Furthermore, qualitative research method applies analysis through the uses of words rather than numbers (Punch, 2005 and Bryman, 2004).

Some scholars have tried to overcome these limitations by adopting mixed method, i.e., they employ both quantitative and qualitative methods. For example, in various comparative researches, before taking qualitative methods, some scholars use regression analysis to check if the cases are significantly related (Onwuegbuzie and Leech, 2006). By doing so, scholars can get more confidence in their results as the research then has a double-verification process.

However, bearing in mind the research objectives that I have outlined earlier, I have chosen qualitative research methodology with descriptive and analytical approaches. My research project requires a detailed description and analysis of the two main types of Baloch nationalists: the federalists and separatists. The project also requires a description of Pakistan’s official position concerning Baloch nationalism and the working of the federation. This research is not about

quantification but rather intends to describe, analyse and explain the views of various respondents with reference to Baloch nationalism(s), Pakistan’s federation and its principles and practices. Since this project aims to examine historical details through an in-depth analysis of the relevant sources, it is questionable that a quantitative approach can be applied to elicit meaningful results in this research. It is not the purpose of this research just to highlight the general relationship between federalism and nationalism by interpreting the quantified and simplified data. In any case, it is doubtful how much the data and variables can be quantifiable and controlled, because the Baloch issue involves varied actors and agents, and is deeply complicated and changing.

However, statistical data from the available primary and secondary sources is utilized here in the form of tables, where necessary for furthering the arguments. In such tables I bring to light the numerical representation of various units (provinces) in the central parliament, central institutions (army and bureaucracy), and the share of finances allocated to each province. Instead of providing a quantitative analysis of this statistical data, I make observations about them in line with qualitative research methods.

It is important to mention that the two different types of Baloch nationalists have been identified on the basis of their party manifestos, rhetoric and political discourses. They both self-identify as Baloch nationalists, but their ways of upholding Baloch nationalism is different from each other. For instance, the federalists struggle to get more provincial autonomy and control over their own affairs and resources within the existing Pakistani federal structure, while the separatists stand for a separate and independent Balochistan and wage guerrilla warfare to achieve their goals. The Pakistani state (civil and military establishment) is in a state of denial and is of the opinion that a few Baloch

Sardars (tribal chiefs) are responsible for the whole saga. The establishment

labels the separatists as miscreants. Thus, owing to these different viewpoints, I have selected three main categories of respondents to be interviewed (the focus is on elite opinion and not on identifying popular versions of nationalism).11 They are: 1) Federalists – including the Baloch political leadership, academics and individual experts on the Baloch issue; 2) Separatists – including the separatist leadership in exile, student activists, pro-separatist intellectuals and journalists; and 3) Pakistan’s government officials, both retired and in-service, including Baloch and non-Baloch.

This project mainly relies on two types of data: primary and secondary. For the theoretical and conceptual understanding of the terms such as state, nation, nationalism and federalism, secondary sources are used in great detail. These secondary sources include a number of books, journal articles, working papers, media reports and various internet based forums and websites.12

Since the already existing literature fails to give a sufficient account of Baloch nationalism, its various types, and their relations towards the federation of Pakistan, therefore, primary and first-hand information was required to explore and investigate the Baloch issue(s), the dynamics of Baloch nationalism(s), and the place of the Baloch within the federation of Pakistan. Conducting in-depth interviews was particularly helpful for generating raw material for analyses. In addition to interviews, various websites, online newspapers, pamphlets, small booklets, and party manifestos produced by Baloch nationalists were also utilized.

11 _{There are various explanations for this and the most important one is that: since 1948, Baloch nationalism} is leadership driven nationalism and mainly revolves around prominent Baloch figures.

12 _{Three major type of websites are included: the Baloch based websites such as ‘The Baloch’} (http://thebaloch.com), ‘Baloch Johd’ (http://www.balochjohd.com), and ‘The Baloch Hal’ (http://www.thebalochhal.com); the international websites such as ‘BBC Urdu’ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu); and Pakistan based website such as ‘Pakistan Current Affairs’ (http://www.pkaffairs.com) and YouTube videos

Now, the task before me was how to collect the primary data and what kinds of tools and techniques to use. After reading Punch (2005), Patton (1980), and Kvale (1996), I decided that interviews would be my main tool for data collection and generation of raw material. This is because interviews are a main data collection tools and technique in qualitative research, and there are different types of interviews that allow conducting qualitative research in versatile manner (Patton, 1980; Punch, 2005; and Kvale, 1996). I chose three different kinds of interview procedures: 1) Face-to-face; 2) Skype-based; and 3) Electronic mail based. The samples that I selected for interviewing were spread around the world and it was not possible to approach all of them for face to face interviews due to limited time and financial constraints. Therefore, I decided to employ three kinds of interview procedure to approach the participants.

Face-to-face interviews were conducted with those individuals who were accessible, either in Pakistan or in the United Kingdom, while Skype and email based interviews were utilised for those who are living in countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and USA. Face-to-face interviewing has some disadvantages. It is a relatively more time-consuming and financially demanding procedure. However, it is helpful to get more in-depth discussion and valuable feedback from interviewees. On the other hand, while Skype and email interviews are definitely advantageous in terms of time and budget limitations, but they were challenging owing to a small number of responses. In my case, I received 1 response from the 8 requests sent via email and Skype. Potential interviewees either refused to participate for unclear reasons or chose not to respond to my emails.

The majority of the interviewees I selected belong to the elite class. They are elite because they are political leaders, former and existing members of national and

provincial legislatures, bureaucrats, intellectuals, student activists, and journalists.13 I selected them for interviewing due to various reasons. Firstly, Baloch nationalism primarily revolves around leadership and is elite driven nationalism, and therefore, elites and experts on the subject can better explain Baloch nationalism and its relations with the federation of Pakistan. Secondly, Balochistan is a vast and conflict-ridden zone and it is not possible to conduct a general survey because of accessibility issues and security threats. Therefore, this research is primarily based on elite opinions from Balochistan (including some well-known individuals from academia, subject experts and journalists from Pakistan).

According to Wimmer and Dominick (2006), questioning in qualitative research is flexible and there is no strict rule to follow when developing a set of questions or a questionnaire. I prepared three different sets of questions: A, B, and C, each consisting of 17 to 18 questions. The purpose of the three sets of questions was to elicit more and different information from the respondents. The set of questions ‘A’ was meant for the federalists, ‘B’ for the separatists, and ‘C’ for the academics, intellectuals, and retired and in-service government officials (see appendix- I).

The main themes of the question sets were: 1) opinions of the different actors regarding Baloch issue vis-à-vis the federation of Pakistan and the federal practices of Pakistani polity; 2) causes of Baloch conflict and emergence of Baloch nationalism; and 3) the future of the federation of Pakistan. The questions sets were open-ended however, and during face-to-face interviews, further

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The province of Balochistan is backward in terms of education therefore; any student who can avail college or higher education falls into an elite class as it is not possible for an ordinary Baloch to avail university education.

probing questions were put to the respondents where and when I felt the need to elicit more information.

One important thing to note is the potential restrictions that can occur while conducting interviews, owing to the sensitivity of the questions, the relationship between the interviewer and the interviewees, and the matter of trust. The issue of the sensitivity of questions is very real. This is the reason that I prepared three different set of questions in advance with great care and prior approval of supervisory team. As indicated above, the set ‘A’ contain questioned specifically for the federalists, ‘B’ for the separatists, and ‘C’ for academics, government officials, intellectuals, and journalists. Where possible, sensitive questions were avoided, because in the prevailing conflict-ridden situation it is not easy to ask the separatists if their close relatives still believe in federal politics and are of the opinion that they can resolve the Baloch issues within the federation of Pakistan through achieving maximum provincial autonomy and control over their resources. If one poses such questions to the separatists they would take it as disgrace and will be irate. However, such questions were addressed the federalists, academics, and intellectuals.

Regarding the relationship between the interviewer and the interviewees as well as the matter of trust, I overcame the associated restrictions because I developed good relations with some of the interviewees. In fact, I have served in Balochistan from 2001 to 2009 in various capacities at different educational institutions. My eight-year stay in Balochistan gave me an opportunity to know the problems of cultural sensitivities of the area. Thanks to these good background relationships, I personally talked with some of the interviewees and they assured me of their willingness to be interviewed. In addition, I also remained in constant contact with some of my Baloch friends and they accompanied me to my meetings with the

interviewees around various localities of Balochistan. Thus, the matter of trust was minimally problematic because I was introduced to most of the interviewees by my Baloch friends and to others by the potential interviewees themselves.

The respondents were given a choice of answering either in English or Urdu because while a majority of the interviewees were able to speak both languages, most of them felt at ease responding in Urdu. Out of 26 interviewees, 7 responded in English, 3 in a mix of Urdu and English, and the rest in Urdu. Each interview took 45 minutes on average. I spent 5 months on fieldwork, and due to the unresponsive attitude of some of the interviewees, I extended the fieldwork for another one month. After completing the fieldwork, and having interviewed the required number of subjects, I spent one and a half months transcribing the interviewees’ responses. The relevant arguments from the interviewees’ responses were then highlighted and referenced in the various chapters of the thesis for the purpose of analysis and furthering arguments.

When collecting primary data through interviews, it is often difficult to fix the exact number of interviewees as it depends upon the interviewees’ responses as well as the time period that has been allocated for the interviews. For this research project, I tried to collect the views and opinions of representative of primary stakeholders, so as to make the thesis more balanced and objective. However, as mentioned earlier, some of the stakeholders and actors either refused to be interviewed or did not respond to my mails. The reasons might be security for some and risk of losing government jobs for others.

In total, I interviewed 26 people. I have categorised them in three different groups in the table 1 below on the basis of their political rhetoric and political party affiliation.

The federalists are represented by 11 participants belonging to various nationalist parties in Balochistan including two from the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), a Pashtun nationalist party based in the province. The separatists, who uphold the idea of an independent Balochistan, are less in number (5) because of the inaccessibility for various reasons. The third group (nonaligned) consists of 10 participants: among them 3 are academics, 4 are intellectuals/journalists, and 3 are government officials. Amongst the academics, intellectuals/journalists and government officials 4 are non-Baloch. All respondents in this study are between 25 and 76 years of age. The highest level of education of the participants ranges from intermediate to postgraduate level. Furthermore, I also utilised the interviews of various Baloch leaders where available in the form of booklets and on websites. The autobiographies of eminent Baloch leaders such as Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, the

Khan of Kalat (titled ‘Inside Balochistan’) and ‘In Search of Solution: An Autobiography of Bizenjo’ (edited by B. M. Kutty – Bizenjo’s Secretary) were also a great help.

Anonymity and confidentiality are an important part of research ethics. In certain cases the subjects may want to remain anonymous. So, it is the ethical responsibility of the researcher to ensure appropriate precautions to protect the confidentiality of the participants’ names, locations, and other data. Therefore, before conducting any interview, every participant was assured about the confidentiality of the interviews and prior approval was also taken from each individual for recording. However, during the entire fieldwork no participant except one, asked for any anonymity or confidentiality. They gave me permission to quote them freely.

During the interviews, some field-notes were also taken and incorporated in various parts of the thesis. As per plan, the face-to-face interviews were recorded and then transcribed in the language of the interviewees after the fieldwork. Also the interviews via electronic medium were read thoroughly and referenced where required.