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Balochistan is famous for handicrafts skills where a variety of colorful handicrafts in embroidery and needlework are designed in different areas, and sold like hot cakes all over the country in expensive boutiques and handicrafts’ showrooms. Bulks of them are exported to western countries for sale in exhibitions and oriental stores.

The art of handicrafts in Balochistan has survived since old ages without undergoing any scientific and industrial advancement. Neither government nor any NGOs has shown any major encouragement to support a regular benefit and wage system for those who craft them after big labor and concentration.

The handicraft work is common in the rural areas of Balochistan, particularly the Baloch/Brahvi areas, where females having learnt the handicraft skills are actively engaged in sewing them to raise a livelihood for their families. According to one lady who is running her boutique in Quetta and Karachi, and has visited different areas of Balochistan to find business pursuits, “The handicraft skills are ancestral in Balochistan having passed from generation to generation. All who do it are rural females with more family liabilities.” To her, embroidering is a part-time job for majority of females from that class. They do needlework after they are done with managing the affairs of household. Also, the absolute majority of those engaged in embroidering are females without or little education. According to a UN literacy survey in rural areas, those who have received education were less inclined to learning embroidering. They when interviewed, showed the learning of embroidery skills a necessity of choice because of not having any education. According to a female, “1 wish I had enough schooling to avoid this tiresome embroidering. The educated females can earn handsome salary by serving as school teachers in any girls school.” According to the reports, females in areas with lowest literacy rate, as common in Balochistan, were more inclined to embroidery. They, belonging to the lower class of society, live under poverty, and for them making money on embroidery skills is a real bonus in life. Females from all age are engaged in doing embroidery skills, however, majority of them belong to young age. She, however, agreed that majority of those who were good in embroidering belonged to the middle age. They learned the stitch-work when they were young, and had been doing it for years.

The learning of embroidery is formal for majority of them, as they don’t undergo any specific training for that; nonetheless, it needs special skills to do it properly. According to Gul Bibi, who has been embroidering for the last thirty years and is famous for her finest needlework, “I learned when I was only thirteen. I belonged to a poor family, and like other girls from our same class, was forced to learn the skills to support my family.’ She is believed to have sewn thousands of embroidery works to be sold in market. She now at the age of forty-three can embroider different designs, however, because of continual embroidering, her eye-sight had become weak, and she found it difficult to carry on the work for longer time. “The embroidery involves a lot of eye­sight work as one has to concentrate all on stitching without losing a trace, otherwise it can spoil the work. The important thing in needlework is cleanness and sophistication of stitching” To her, those doing it regularly for hours, as it is common in rural areas, where females spends longer time in needlework and doing it in night under a lamp, are prone to eye-sight problem,” said she.

The needlework in Balochistan contains different designs and techniques. It varies from place to place. Different areas are famous for distinct designs of needlework. For example. “Kawchik” needlework in Dera Bugti area is different from the rest of Balochistan, and females from other areas may not be able to follow those designs. It needs special techniques to embroider “Kawchik” stitch. The “Kawchik” designs are made on female shawls and shirts. They are usually crafted on the front part and sleeves of a shirt. “Traditionally it was red, purple or blue color needlework on stiffened and starched front part of a formal white female shirt, and ankles of a trouser; both shirt and trouser in same color,” said Mr. Mushtaq, the owner of the famous “Kashmir Crafts” on Jinnah road, Quetta. To him, the work was famous all over the sub-continent, and still popular all over the country. He, however, to his dismay, claimed that the number of those embroidering “Kawchik” is reduced. “It needs three week labor to complete one suit.” said he. To him, now “Kawchik” is not necessarily followed in traditional style, but rather people like it more in contrasts.

Similarly, the needlework in Kalat and Khuzdar areas are liked in large. They are known as “Mosham ka”. It contains all stitch work in different colors, usually red, green, black and gray, on white or yellow color shirt and trousers. It is common on shawls, cushions, table covers, and bed sheets; it can be designed on “Saris”. According to a lady, familiar with the “Mosham ka” needlework, “It can have different designs, however, all are handmade with great care. It can have use of tiny glass work.”The “Jok” needlework of Sibi district is liked all over Balochistan. Showing a number of garments, which had “Jok” embroidery on each of them, she said that a number of different colors thin threads were used in embroidering of “Jok” work. To her, nonetheless, no stitch work is possible without having tracing first. Those who embroider are not always responsible for the tracing designs; the designs many be given by those ordering the work.

The needlework of Muslim Bagh, Gulistan and Zhob, Pushto speaking areas, are different. It is, however, less expensive and requires less labour, as use of threads in these cases is smaller. “A variety of designs are made on female clothes, including bridal dress and those of small kids in open and close stitching,” said an embroiderer. To her, the influx of Afghan refugees in Balochistan after the Saur revolution in Afghanistan in Pathan areas, brought new designs and employment of needlework. She believed that Afghan women are good at embroidery, and they are activity engaged in crafting different designs of handicrafts. The designs they make can be seen in different handicrafts shops in Quetta.

Those who make the handicrafts, nonetheless, have not benefited from the art. It is commonly believed that in majority of cases, they are paid much below the cost of the efforts and labor put into. The majority of those skilled in this job belong to rural/tribal areas of Balochistan without any formal education and mobilization in life. They are mostly confined to their houses or then village surroundings without any vocational centers to improve their embroidery skills under scientific advancement. They receive orders from outside. They are visited by the owners/agents of boutiques or craft shops, and ordered different variety of works. After they complete the embroidery, they are paid for.

According to an owner of a handicraft shop, it is usually difficult for boutiques’ owners to visit far-flung areas of Balochistan. In many cases, the order is passed through aged ladies familiar with the art. They from time to time visit cities and collect orders from people running industrial homes or boutique shops, and bring them back after they are done. Those who order, provide them with cloths, threads, and even design models. “They are paid after the work is done, and commission for persons taking and bringing them back.” said he. “I have been in this business for the last 14 years, nonetheless, I have not seen the workers.” Lie, however, admitted that he needed only good pieces of embroidery done, and benefited much from commercializing it inside and outside Pakistan. They were sold in expensive prices, though he declined to tell how much profit he received usually on each piece of handicraft. He, nonetheless, agreed that the workers are paid many times below the costs of market value. ‘They are left with little choice of bargaining. They are poor and need a financial support for the talents” said the owner.

The handicrafts of Balochistan are famous for their beautiful and sophisticated designs. A variety of needlework designing, sold in expensive boutiques and crafts shops, show sale value in national and international markets. However, the government or NGOs show no encouragement, to the promotion of those who actually craft them. They are persons having lived in poverty and ignorance with a necessary choice to uplift a meager income for their families by making them. They need broader support by the government and other agencies to make it more industrially advanced with regular wages and benefits for workers.