Coordinated attacks: On Pakistan and the Baloch conflict
Pakistan cannot take a militaristic approach to the Baloch conflict
Ever since the Taliban, hosted by Pakistan’s security forces, recaptured Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan, especially in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces neighbouring Afghanistan, has seen a surge in terrorist attacks. In 2023 alone, there were over 650 recorded attacks, with 23% occurring in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and a hotbed of separatist insurgency. But even in this new normal, Monday was one of the bloodiest days for Balochistan and Pakistan. On the 18th death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani military in 2006, separatists carried out coordinated attacks across the province. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the many deaths. According to security officials, the separatists damaged infrastructure and executed migrant labourers from Punjab. That the attacks occurred in different parts of Balochistan show the growing reach and capability of the insurgency. Bugti’s death anniversaries have seen violent incidents in the past, but Pakistan’s military and intelligence services were caught off guard on August 26.
Historically, Pakistan has taken a ruthless, militarist approach towards the Baloch problem. Balochistan, despite its wealth of natural resources, is the country’s most impoverished region. Pakistan has historically neglected the province. Punjab, on the other hand, grew to be influential in national politics and economically prosperous, leading to strong anti-Punjab tendencies within sections of the Baloch community. This, along with the poor living conditions, was exploited by the separatists to drum up support for their cause. They often attack the federal government “for extracting” resources without offering any help to the local economy. Baloch separatists have cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which goes through the province, as an example of this exploitation, and targeted Chinese interests. The Pakistani establishment has also failed to engage with the civil rights movements in Balochistan, such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which organised several sit-ins in Islamabad and Baloch cities this year to draw the attention of the federal authorities to widespread human rights abuses in the province. Such activists were often painted as “enemies of Pakistan”, which left the military with the only option of using force against the separatists. But state violence has only strengthened the separatists — as the latest attacks underscore. If Pakistan is serious about stability and security in its largest province, it should take measures to address the developmental concerns of the locals, stop the rights violations and engage with the peaceful civil rights voices to reset ties with the Balochis.