The largest province in Pakistan, Balochistan is the least developed despite having more resources than other provinces.
Balochistan Crisis explained
It is also common to use the term “Balochistan” to refer to a larger region that comprises parts of Afghanistan and Iran. Targeting extremists in the area, Iran and Pakistan have both conducted cross-border strikes in the last week.
Balochistan is mostly located in southwest Pakistan. Although the Pakistani province is home to only 6% of the 241 million people living in the nation, it occupies roughly 44% of its total land area. Human rights abuses, militancy, and insurgency have stained its past here.
Balochistan enjoys a lengthy coastline along the Arabian Sea and shares a violent border with Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The Baloch tribe, who have lived in this area for generations, is the source of the region’s name. The Pashtuns are now the second-largest ethnic group, behind the Balochs.
Known for having the most abundant natural resources in Pakistan, such as minerals and gas, Balochistan is also a vital part of the China-funded China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar project.
Additionally, China is working on mining operations in this area and is building an international airport in Gwadar, a project that is strongly opposed by rebel groups in Pakistan.
Barrick Gold, a Canadian mining firm, owns half of the Reko Diq mine in Balochistan, which is one of the largest undeveloped copper and gold site in the world.
IRAN AND PAKISTAN FIGHTS FOR AUTONOMY OVER BALOCHISTAN
Local organizations in Iran and Pakistan are engaged in a long-running conflict over Balochistan’s increased autonomy.
The recent attack by Iran on Pakistan on January 16, which Pakistan claimed killed two children, intensified tensions across international borders. Iran claims that nine persons were killed in Pakistan’s missile strike that was launched in retaliation within Iranian territory.
Pakistan claimed to be targeting the “hideouts” of two militant groups operating within Iran: The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Iran claimed to be targeting Jaish al-Adl, a militant group that operates against Iran.
BALOCHS TRIBE UNSATISFIED WITH PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT
Long-term resource overexploitation in the Pakistani region of Balochistan has served as a primary instigator of insurgency and instability. People in the area, especially the Balochs, have accused the governments of ignoring the region’s development in favor of utilizing and benefitting from Balochistan’s riches.
After Pakistan gained independence from the British Indian Empire in 1948, there was a period of resistance against the Pakistani government and a militant insurgency that called for the creation of an independent state for the Baloch people.
Phases of resistance persisted into the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Following a period of relative calm, there was a notable spike in insurgency activities starting in 2003, under the tenure of military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf. He carried out multiple counter-insurgency operations in Balochistan, resulting in the death of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a well-known Baloch commander.
Tens of thousands of people are said to have vanished as a result of bloody counter-insurgency operations and a crackdown in the province by Pakistan’s army and intelligence services. These people were then allegedly picked up, tortured, and assassinated by Pakistani security personnel without facing consequences. Pakistan strongly rejects these charges.
Over 7,000 persons are reported missing from Balochistan, according to the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP). However, as of October 2023, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances reports that there were only 454 ongoing cases from Balochistan.
In a recent interview with the BBC, the acting prime minister of Pakistan said that the number of missing persons in Balochistan was “exaggerated” and that there are actually only 50. A sizable number of women and family members have been protesting in Islamabad, calling for the return of missing persons and an end to kidnappings and killings in the area. Some of these cases are before the Supreme Court.
WHO CARRY OUT SUCH ATTACKS?
Although there have been other militant organizations in the province, the BLF and BLA are still very much in the forefront of the area. While Pakistan maintains that these groups have their main hideouts in Iran and occasionally in Afghanistan, these groups operate against Pakistan within Pakistani soil.
Pakistan charges, that the Iranian government provides safe havens to the leaders and fighters of these groups, which Iran refutes. Additionally, Pakistan asserts that India financially backs certain groups in Balochistan, a charge that India denies.
The BLA is clearly the violent organization directly opposing Pakistani authorities the most. The US and the UK are two Western nations that have classified this group as a worldwide terrorist organization.
The BLA has escalated its attacks in the last few years, concentrating on Chinese nationals working on projects in the area rather than Pakistan’s security forces in Balochistan.
Like other rebel organizations, the Balochistani Liberation Front (BLF) often targets infrastructure, security posts, and gas projects in Balochistan. The gang has been actively carrying out attacks against journalists, foreign workers, government affiliations, and Pakistani security forces since 2011.
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