Pakistan’s Balochistan province is once again in the news. Separatist rebels hijacked about 450 people, Jafar ExpressThe Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan’s Army claims that 21 people were killed in this 30 -hour hijack, while 28 soldiers on the train were also killed. The Army, which runs the rescue operation, has also claimed to kill 33 rebels. The question is why the people of Balochistan have taken up weapons against their government? After all, why are the situation there such that every year, there is news of some violent rebellion from there. The story of violence, rebellion and non -living lives start from the beginning.
Story of Balochistan
Since the formation of Pakistan, there has been a historically struggle between the caste Balochis and the Pakistani government. Six months after separating from India in August 1947, this province was captured by Pakistan in 1948 and has been a witness to many separatist movements since then. With the passage of the year, it turned into a violent conflict on the basis of language, ethnicity, history, geographical discrimination, communal inequalities, colonial stigma and political isolation.
In Pakistan’s Parliament, leaders, Pakistani Army and even the judiciary treated the Balochis, which has increased the spirit of separation among the public in the province. The puppet of the general public and the frustration of the general public was further edged by the state governments. These governments did more work for the interests of the national parties of Pakistan rather than the people of the province.
To understand the pain of Balochistan, we have to understand the people of Balochistan. For this, the Research Fellow published on the site of the Indian Council of World Affairs saw the paper of Dr. Dhrubjyoti Bhattacharjee.
According to this, Balochistan is mainly a tribal society which is geographically the largest province in Pakistan (46%of the total terrain) but the smallest by population (about 6%of the total population). Balochistan is the most backward province in Pakistan. Here are the worst indicators of socio-economic development compared to any province of Pakistan. Balochistan is rich in hydrocarbons and minerals, yet 70% of its 1.5 crore residents are below the poverty line. It seems that the democratic government institutions of Pakistan come here and go to the ventilator. Ever since the formation of Pakistan, the history of Balochistan is full of government efforts to crush both along with extremism and rebellion.
Balochistan train running after hijack
Photo Credit: AFP
The people of Balochistan believe that the governments and the army sitting in Islamabad, like the British, have exploited this province for natural resources and its geographical status.
The emergence of the middle class in Balochistan and the feeling of inequality
Dr. Dhrubjyoti Bhattacharjee believes that the spirit of nationalism in Baloch ends the validity of the central government of Pakistan in the province. This feeling of nationalism and rebellion has emerged with the rise of middle class and intellectuals in Balochis. In fact, during the eighties and nineties, due to political and economic instability and intermittent violence, the youth here either went out of Balochistan or went abroad. Most of them have returned as today’s educated middle class, who have modern ideas, they have developed a sense of strong ethnic-nationalism and they are connected to their territory. The problem is that inside Pakistan, he is excluded from high positions in the administration or army, as it is mostly occupied by the people of Pakistani Punjab and Sindh provinces.
The government and the Army have used cruel power to suppress any resentment or unrest in Balochistan. Along with the serious repression, the army tried reconciliation due to which the rebels surrendered during 2016-2017. But the violence did not stop. The reason was believed that no attempt was made to work on the factor that is provoking this violence.
For example Construction of Gwadar Mega-Port Projects such as Chinese Economic Corridor (CPEC) of $ 62 billion in the province of the Economic Corridor (CPEC) to know the opinion of the people here, implement itRegarding this project, Balochis believe that only this is exploiting their resources. Similarly, exploitation of needle gas reserves here and development of dick mine. Baloch said that this has benefited the people of Pakistani Punjab province, not us. The revenue that the government got from all these projects has not been distributed in such a way that the people of the province can benefit. It has been a major factor of dissatisfaction and isolation.
Cremisation of violent rebel organizations
According to Islamabad -based Center for Research and Security Studies, Balochistan has seen an increase in violence last year. At the 2024 attacks have increased by 90% as compared to 2023Pakistan’s rigorous response to extremism has been criticized by human rights groups. The leaders or common people who raise the voice of rebellion in Balochistan are going to ‘disappear’ on a large scale and later getting their body. The Pakistani Army has been accused of killing his court and pronounced the verdict itself.
Balochistan train running after hijack
Photo Credit: AFP
Since the formation of Pakistan in 1947, there have been at least five separatist rebellions in Balochistan. The newest one began in the 2000s. The focus was on acquiring a large part of the province’s resources, but soon the demand for complete freedom increased. In such a situation, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was born. BLA is the strongest among many long -rebel groups in the region bordering Afghanistan and Iran. Bla has maintained the same purpose, Balochistan’s independence.
In 2022, Bla surrounded Pakistan by entering the Pakistani Army and Navy’s bases. It used female suicide bombers. This includes attacking Chinese citizens in a university in Karachi and bombing in southwest Balochistan. A group of several Baloch ethnic groups said last week that BLA had called all groups to unite under a military structure.
Amidst all this, the general public of Pakistan is suffering from violence. In the train hijack, the killing of the general public and the army personnel or the attack on foreign nationals, it is having a deep social and economic impact on not only Baloch province but the whole of Pakistan. Human rights groups believe that Baloch rebellion will continue to grow until the complaints of separation between Baloch ethnic identities and their causes. The Pakistani government and army cannot find solutions on the strength of guns. For permanent peace, all the stakehorders have to be carried along, listening to their problems, it will have to be removed.
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