Farid Kasi

Bibliophile,Bibliomane,Bibliolater. @IDS_UK @CheveningFCDO,Creative Writing @UniofOxford. Great writer of unaccomplished masterpieces.Balochistani.

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

In my recent article, Highway of Fear, I blend fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of a journey from Quetta to Gwadar, using characters and conversations to bring to life the real anxieties of travel in Balochistan. The journey reveals a Balochistan caught between fear and possibility. Through checkpoints, armed convoys, smuggling routes, and uneasy silences, it explores how insecurity shapes everyday travel—and threatens the trade corridors that could define Pakistan’s economic future. At its heart lies a deeper question: can roads truly connect a region if the people living alongside them do not feel connected to the opportunities they promise?

https://t.co/Fkd3YBh0qe

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

@Senator_Baloch @iamthedrifter @zaighamkhan @ShahmeerAlbalos @AliArqam @a_siab

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

@Senator_Baloch @iamthedrifter @zaighamkhan @ShahmeerAlbalos @AliArqam @a_siab

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

In my recent article, Highway of Fear, I blend fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of a journey from Quetta to Gwadar, using characters and conversations to bring to life the real anxieties of travel in Balochistan. The journey reveals a Balochistan caught between fear and possibility. Through checkpoints, armed convoys, smuggling routes, and uneasy silences, it explores how insecurity shapes everyday travel—and threatens the trade corridors that could define Pakistan’s economic future. At its heart lies a deeper question: can roads truly connect a region if the people living alongside them do not feel connected to the opportunities they promise?

https://t.co/Fkd3YBh0qe

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

In my recent article, Highway of Fear, I blend fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of a journey from Quetta to Gwadar, using characters and conversations to bring to life the real anxieties of travel in Balochistan. The journey reveals a Balochistan caught between fear and possibility. Through checkpoints, armed convoys, smuggling routes, and uneasy silences, it explores how insecurity shapes everyday travel—and threatens the trade corridors that could define Pakistan’s economic future. At its heart lies a deeper question: can roads truly connect a region if the people living alongside them do not feel connected to the opportunities they promise?

https://t.co/Fkd3YBh0qe

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

This story has nothing to do with the recent stake holders conference about Balochistan, in Islamabad.

The Lion and the Jackals

Once, a lion summoned all the jackals of the forest to his cave. He told them that the forest was in disorder, that the animals were ungrateful, and that the jackals had failed in their duty to explain how generous and wise the lion was.

The jackals nodded solemnly.

One timid jackal finally asked, “Your Majesty, if the animals are unhappy, should we perhaps ask them why?”

The lion roared: “That is exactly the kind of negativity I summoned you here to correct.”

So the jackals returned to the forest and announced that the meeting had been extremely productive.

The moral: When rulers summon notables only to tell them what the people ought to think, consultation becomes ventriloquism.

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

This story has nothing to do with the recent stake holders conference about Balochistan, in Islamabad.

The Lion and the Jackals

Once, a lion summoned all the jackals of the forest to his cave. He told them that the forest was in disorder, that the animals were ungrateful, and that the jackals had failed in their duty to explain how generous and wise the lion was.

The jackals nodded solemnly.

One timid jackal finally asked, “Your Majesty, if the animals are unhappy, should we perhaps ask them why?”

The lion roared: “That is exactly the kind of negativity I summoned you here to correct.”

So the jackals returned to the forest and announced that the meeting had been extremely productive.

The moral: When rulers summon notables only to tell them what the people ought to think, consultation becomes ventriloquism.

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

I might not agree with u about‘militants have massive public support”. i m using the word recently because from last one year the local dynamics and ground realities have changed. If you as a businessman travelling on the RCD highway, he would definitely point out to the recent insurgency as the main reason why his business is in a loss.
Another example is the local farmers of mangocher where most of the millitants have made there safe heavens. They are actually very much disturbed by their presence as this year most of them are at loss because of the insurgent activities in and around Mastung, Mangocher and Kalat districts.
Since , insurgents have come to the close by villages, all the way from mountains local business and locals are not happy. There is more fear and less economic activity.

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

@iamthedrifter @faridkasi Thank you so much it means alot. You have tagged the wrong Farid Kasi. This is my handle. 😊

[Ayesha Siddiqa @iamthedrifter]

It’s the first deep and enjoyable article on Pakistan and Baluchistan’s politics that I have read in recent years. Thanks @faridkasi for using a thinking pen - Jäger’s Hyperpolitics, Pakistan and the Case for Balochistan. | by Farid Kasi | Aug, 2026 | https://t.co/l2vn4CW9Kx

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

My latest piece, Sardar and Sarkar. The Story of Balochistan,  challenges the common view that Balochistan’s underdevelopment stems mainly from the Sardari system. It traces the history of tribal authority from British colonial times to modern Pakistan, showing that the Sardar's lasting influence stems not only from tribal customs but also from government support, electoral politics, and fragile democratic structures. Rather than highlighting individual tribal leaders, the article analyzes the structural relationship between the state and local elites. It argues that effective political reform requires establishing accountable institutions that reduce citizens’ dependence on hereditary and politically linked intermediaries.  

https://t.co/OtbGNJ81aV

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

@zaighamkhan @AliArqam @mehreenzahra @ajmaljami @iamthedrifter @ayeshaijazkhan @ShahmeerAlbalos @ninoqazi @zalmayzia

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

@zaighamkhan @AliArqam @mehreenzahra @ajmaljami @iamthedrifter @ayeshaijazkhan @ShahmeerAlbalos @ninoqazi @zalmayzia

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

My latest piece, Sardar and Sarkar. The Story of Balochistan,  challenges the common view that Balochistan’s underdevelopment stems mainly from the Sardari system. It traces the history of tribal authority from British colonial times to modern Pakistan, showing that the Sardar's lasting influence stems not only from tribal customs but also from government support, electoral politics, and fragile democratic structures. Rather than highlighting individual tribal leaders, the article analyzes the structural relationship between the state and local elites. It argues that effective political reform requires establishing accountable institutions that reduce citizens’ dependence on hereditary and politically linked intermediaries.  

https://t.co/OtbGNJ81aV

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

My latest piece, Sardar and Sarkar. The Story of Balochistan,  challenges the common view that Balochistan’s underdevelopment stems mainly from the Sardari system. It traces the history of tribal authority from British colonial times to modern Pakistan, showing that the Sardar's lasting influence stems not only from tribal customs but also from government support, electoral politics, and fragile democratic structures. Rather than highlighting individual tribal leaders, the article analyzes the structural relationship between the state and local elites. It argues that effective political reform requires establishing accountable institutions that reduce citizens’ dependence on hereditary and politically linked intermediaries.  

https://t.co/OtbGNJ81aV

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

What happens when politics is everywhere, yet meaningful political change remains elusive? In this article I have tried to examine Pakistan through Anton Jäger’s theory of hyperpolitics and argue that Balochistan reveals the consequences of a widening gap between political mobilization, institutional trust, and democratic representation.

Jäger’s Hyperpolitics, Pakistan and the Case for Balochistan.

https://t.co/DuFzz6CZE4

[Farid Kasi @f_kasi]

What happens when politics is everywhere, yet meaningful political change remains elusive? In this article I have tried to examine Pakistan through Anton Jäger’s theory of hyperpolitics and argue that Balochistan reveals the consequences of a widening gap between political mobilization, institutional trust, and democratic representation.

Jäger’s Hyperpolitics, Pakistan and the Case for Balochistan.

https://t.co/DuFzz6CZE4