Balochistan is a very old issue

There have been five major insurgencies in Balochistan since Pakistan took over and the most recent insurgency began in 2005 and continues to this day. Additionally, Balochistan is rich in natural resources, but the people there have not been getting any benefits. Moreover, the gas, coal and mineral wealth of the region is exploited by Pakistan while the local people are not even given basic facilities. Poverty, unemployment and lack of infrastructure further deepened the discontent among the Baloch people.

It is worth noting here that the insurgency in Balochistan is not a new issue, but it is a decades-old problem, which is related to the historical policies and administrative failures of Pakistan. The roots of this conflict are linked to political, economic and cultural exploitation. After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, the Kharan, Lasbela and Makran areas of Balochistan were forcibly annexed to Pakistan, while there was widespread opposition among the people there. Baloch nationalists believed that their region should have remained independent. This discontent grew over time and took the form of rebellion.

Pakistan eying mineral rich region

Pakistan has been stepping up its efforts to suppress the voice of rebellion in the region but the people have become vocal now. The separatist organisation Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), active in Balochistan, has been the root cause of the Pakistani government’s worries. In the last five years, about 600 people, including many Pakistani soldiers, were killed in BLA attacks. Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province in terms of area, but small in terms of population.

Apart from abundant mineral reserves, it is also important for Pakistan because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes through the region and China has a huge investment here, so Chinese workers in Balochistan are also on the target of BLA. The Baloch people feel that the aim of these projects is only to benefit external forces, while their rights and lands are being violated. CPEC is a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and Gwadar port in Balochistan a part of CPEC is considered the most important place in this project.
China has spent 46 billion dollars so far to connect Pakistan’s Gwadar port to Xinjiang. It is spending so much on Gwadar port to bring the resources of Arab countries to its country. China is widening roads here and is engaged in building an airport. But the Baloch are creating problems in this.

What do BLA and Balouch people want?

The people of Balochistan believe that they were forcibly included in Pakistan at the time of the India-Pakistan partition, while they wanted to see themselves as an independent country. As this could not happen back then, so the struggle of the people of this province with the government and army of Pakistan is continuing even today. Currently, many separatist groups are demanding independence for Balochistan and are therefore actively targeting the Pakistan army. BLA wants to free Balochistan from foreign influence, especially China and the Pakistani government as it believes that they have the first right on the resources of Balochistan.

The Baloch community has been wanting to maintain its distinct cultural identity, but the Pakistan government has been attempting to undermine the Baloch language, traditions and local governance system. Even the Baloch leaders are excluded from the mainstream politically, which has further increased the sense of alienation among the people, thus increasing conflicts between the BLA and the Pakistani establishment. The Pakistan Army and the ISI have also been accused of committing atrocities against Baloch civilians.

A wake-up call for Pakistan?

As the Baloch freedom struggle gains momentum Pakistan has very few options left to stop it. After the train hijacking incident, there is a demand, especially from the Punjabi community, that the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army should take full-force action against the Baloch. However, the manner in which a large number of Pakistan Army soldiers are leaving their jobs and fleeing the country facing the Baloch head-on seems a distant possibility for Pakistan as of now. Some media reports claimed that about 2,500 Pakistani soldiers have left their jobs in a week due to the continuous attacks on the Pakistani Army and the deteriorating economic conditions. The soldiers who left their jobs have gone to work outside the country in Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE.

By pooling their resources and moving beyond tribal identities, Baloch militants have now begun to project the image of a national freedom struggle. At the political level, the recent Baloch National Gathering saw people from every corner of Balochistan moving towards a national movement. This was something that had previously eluded Baloch nationalists, and Pakistan took advantage of this to adopt a divide and rule strategy to crush Baloch aspirations. Now the conflict has moved beyond tribal boundaries and has become a national struggle for freedom.

Politically and economically Pakistan is also not in a position to woo the Baloch in any way as the country is reeling under a severe economic crisis and is looking towards the IMF to give it money. Even Chinese projects like CPEC will not lure the Baloch as they are well aware that the project promises nothing in terms of development for the Balochs, and is just a means to loot their land and resources.

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