Balochistan

 Balochistan

THE INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT OF BALOCHISTAN

AAKROSH. January 2017. Volume 20. Number 74 43

JAI KUMAR VERMA

 In a bold departure from the old practice, Prime Minister Modi made a reference to Balochistan, Gilgit and Baltistan in his Independence Day speech; nonetheless the move was criticised by the Pakistan government as well as by leaders of Indian opposition parties. But the nationalist leaders of Balochistan welcomed the move. The Khan of Kalat declared independence and never wanted to be a part of Pakistan. Jinnah forcibly merged Balochistan. The mineral-rich Balochistan is the biggest province of the country, but it is the poorest region in south Asia. The federal government, with an ulterior motive, is hindering the progress of the province. The Pakistan government, instead of redressing the legitimate problems of the province, alleges that the insurgency in the state is fuelled by foreign powers. Baloch leaders oppose the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as they fear that under the garb of the CPEC, the Pakistan government would settle outsiders in the state, which would change the demography of the province. The Baloch leaders also mention that the CPEC is not in the interest of the state. Pakistani forces have adopted the policy of ‘kill and dump’ to terrorise the Balochis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a momentous departure from the old policy of defending India against Pakistani onslaught about the human right violations in Kashmir, made a direct reference to the Balochistan freedom movement, Gilgit and Baltistan as well as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day speech of 15 August 2016.

He stated that ‘The way people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) have thanked me, they have thanked the whole population of my country. I want to offer my gratitude to these people.’ Before the Independence Day speech, Modi also mentioned on 12 August, in an all-party meeting on the situation in Kashmir, that although he was sorry for the prevailing situation in Kashmir, there can be no negotiation on the integrity of India. He also mentioned emphatically that the whole of Jammu & Kashmir, including POK, is a part of India and cross-border terrorism is responsible for the turmoil in the valley. He further stated that there are gross human rights violations in Balochistan and POK and the neighbouring country must provide an explanation to the world about these abominations.

 The prime minister also blamed Pakistan for eulogising terrorists while India condemned the terrorist attack on school children in Peshawar. The international community would certainly observe the vast difference in the approach of both the neighbouring nations. Here it is pertinent to note that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif termed Burhan Wani a ‘martyr’ and declared that Pakistan would observe 19 July as ‘Black Day’. Wani was the commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, a terrorist outfit, and was exterminated by security forces in an encounter on 8 July 2016.

 The Pakistan government, which has launched a low-intensity war against India, perpetually alleges that India is assisting various secessionist outfits and fomenting trouble in Balochistan. However, it could not provide any trustworthy evidence about India’s assistance to the Balochistan nationalist movement.

 The Pakistan government was under acute pressure from India and the international community when the Indian security agencies provided conclusive evidence about the involvement of military-controlled Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in the training and infiltration of the Pakistani terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase on 2 January 2016.

As Pakistan could not refute the infallible evidence, it arrested an innocent Indian national, Kulbhushan Jadhav, and alleged that he was an agent of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) and was abetting secessionist organisations in Balochistan.

The ISI arrested Jadhav with the ulterior motive of distracting the world attention from its assistance to multifarious terrorist outfits in India, especially in J&K. Pakistan publicized the arrest of Jadhav and his involvement with separatist outfits of Balochistan within the country as well as abroad. Jadhav was badly tortured and compelled to sign several fictitious documents with the nefarious intention of giving adverse publicity to India and concealing Pakistan’s own surreptitious assistance to terrorists. Pakistan also emphasised that the separatist movement of Balochistan was not a home-grown movement but is continuing because of foreign assistance, especially that from India.

Pakistan, which always alleges that India is fomenting trouble in Balochistan, issued a hard-hitting statement within hours of Modi’s Independence Day speech. Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistani prime minister’s advisor on foreign affairs, mentioned in a statement that the reference to Balochistan in Modi’s Independence Day speech proves Pakistan’s contention that R&AW is inciting terrorism in Balochistan. Aziz further alleged that the Indian spy Jadhav also confessed to India’s involvement in Balochistan. Pakistan People’s Party chairman and leader of the main opposition party Bilawal Bhutto also criticised Modi’s comments on Balochistan. He stated that Modi’s statement was ‘highly provocative, irresponsible and inflammatory’.

Pakistani analysts claimed that Modi’s speech was harmful for the Baloch cause as it confirmed Pakistan’s argument that the Balochistan secessionist movement is not indigenous but a handful of Balochis are creating law and order problems at the behest of India. They also mentioned that now the Pakistani army would enhance the brutality in Balochistan as Balochi separatist leaders would be branded as Indian agents. They also mention that India is using the Baloch issue to shift the international attention from the atrocities Indian security forces are committing on Kashmiris.

The strategic analysts claim that the mention of Balochistan by the prime minister in the Independence Day speech is a gargantuan departure from the past practice. POK, Gilgit and Baltistan are parts of India, while Pakistan always claimed Balochistan as an integral part of the country. In the past, the Ministry of External Affairs showed India’s concern about Balochistan in 2005, when the Pakistani air force bombarded Balochistan and in 2006, when the Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in an air raid. Although several senior retired Indian diplomats acknowledged that it was a major change in India’s policy towards Pakistan, they also admit that in view of Pakistan’s aggressive policy towards India, this change was obligatory. Not only Pakistan but also opposition parties in India reacted sharply against Modi’s speech. The Congress Party as well as other political parties mentioned that the ruling party should formulate a long-term policy towards Pakistan instead of imprudent reactions.

However, the Indian prime minister’s reference to Balochistan evoked a positive reaction from Baloch leaders within or outside Pakistan. They welcomed the statement, as they felt that highlighting of the Baloch issue by the Indian prime minister would attract world attention, including that of the United Nations. The chairman of the Baloch National Movement, Khalil Baloch, accepted that the Indian prime minister’s statement on Balochistan is a ‘positive development’. He also anticipated that soon the ‘United States and Europe’ would also team up with India in condemning Pakistan for continued atrocities on the people of Balochistan since the last 68 year.

ORIGIN OF THE BALOCHISTAN PROBLEM

 Balochistan nationalist leaders claim Greater Balochistan, which would include not only the Balochistan province of Pakistan but also Sistan and the Balochistan province in south-eastern Iran and the Balochistan region of southern Afghanistan. The Baloch population in 2014 in Iran was approximately 2 million. Before independence, the Balochistan province of Pakistan was divided into four princely states, namely Makran, Las Bela, Kharan and Kalat. The first three states readily merged with Pakistan. However, Mir Sir Ahmad Yar Khan Ahmedzai, the then Khan of Kalat, refused to merge with Pakistan and declared Kalat as an independent nation on 15 August 1947. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, governor general of Pakistan, threatened the Khan of Kalat to amalgamate with Pakistan but when he delayed the merger, Pakistani forces attacked Kalat in March 1948 and forcibly merged it. Pakistani forces also compelled Ahmad Yar Khan to sign an accession treaty. However, his younger brothers Princes Agha Abdul Karim Baloch and Muhammad Rahim continued to attack Pakistani forces under the banner of Dosht-e-Jhalawan. In June 1958, Yar Khan declared himself as the Khan of Kalat in defiance of the government of Pakistan. Nonetheless, on 6 October 1958 Pakistani forces arrested him under charges of sedition. His arrest provoked Balochis, and rebellion started under the leadership of Nauroz Khan. Later, Yar Khan was released and his title was also restored in 1962.

The Balochistan nationalist movement can be divided into the following five phases. THE FIRST PHASE OF INSURGENCY The insurgency started in Balochistan when Pakistani forces forcibly amalgamated the area ruled by the Khan of Kalat on 27 March 1948. The Khan of Kalat signed an accession treaty under duress, but his two brothers started guerrilla war against Pakistani forces.

THE SECOND PHASE OF INSURGENCY

The second phase of insurgency, in 1958 and 1959, was led by Nawab Nauroz Khan, who was the head of Zarakzai tribes of Balochistan. Nauroz Khan revolted against the federal government as Pakistan wanted to implement a one-unit policy, which was against the tribal system of the province; nonetheless he was arrested and put in Hyderabad jail, where he died. His five family members, including his sons and nephews, were also charged with treason and were hanged in jail.

In this phase, the Khan of Kalat also declared independence, dishonoured Pakistani flag and hoisted the old flag of Kalat. Reports suggest that President Major General Iskandar Mirza instigated the Khan of Kalat to declare independence as he wanted to promulgate martial law in the country. Pakistan was passing through a critical period, and control of the central government was waning. President Iskandar Mirza, on the pretext of Balochistan uprising, promulgated martial law across the whole of Pakistan, abrogated the constitution, dismissed central and provincial governments, banned political parties, dissolved assemblies and appointed General Mohammed Ayub Khan, chief of Pakistani army, as chief martial law administrator. The then interior minister Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti offered to go to Kalat and bring the Khan of Kalat for negotiations, but President Iskandar Mirza, who wanted to promulgate martial law, prohibited Bugti. The Khan of Kalat was arrested on 6 October 1958 under the charges of treason. The Balochis felt humiliated as the ‘Sardar of Sardars’ Khan-e-Azam was arrested, jailed and mortified by the Punjabi-dominated Pakistani army. Hence the Balochis revolted against the federal government.

THE THIRD PHASE OF INSURGENCY

The third phase of insurgency began when a new constitution was enforced which curtailed the provincial autonomy and introduced the one-unit concept. The Pakistani army also opened new bases in the province to strengthen its presence, which was resisted by the Balochis. Besides this, the Balochis were also demanding royalty for the mineral resources, including the gas extracted from the Sui gas field in Balochistan and sent to other provinces. Sher Muhammad Birani Marri, the chief of Marri tribe, launched fierce guerrilla warfare against the Pakistani government from 1963 to 1969. Several other tribal heads, including Mengal and Bugti, also joined the struggle, which covered an area of about 72,000 km. The Balochis bombed railway tracks, attacked army installations and convoys and killed several security personnel. The army, which retaliated with a vengeance, killed and arrested a large number of Balochis, raped their women and burnt their houses, which further intensified the insurgency. The rebellion ended in 1969, when the Pakistan government scrapped the one-unit policy and Balochistan became the fourth state of West Pakistan.

THE FOURTH PHASE OF INSURGENCY

The turmoil in the state continued at a low pace even after the ceasefire of 1969 as Pakistani forces continued the monstrosities against the Balochis. Hence the fourth phase of insurgency in Balochistan commenced, in 1973, which continued till 1977. In 1973, the then president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto dismissed provincial governments of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan under the charges of sedition. Bhutto also promulgated martial law in both these states. Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, who was head of the Marri tribe, constituted Balochistan People’s Liberation Front (BPLF), in which a large number of fighters from Marri and Mengal tribes joined, and BPLF started a guerrilla war against the federal government. Tribesmen of Marri and Mengal were spirited fighters and killed more than 400 Pakistani armed personnel. Pakistani army also killed thousands of Balochis, destroyed several houses, raped women and perpetrated diverse kinds of atrocities on civilians as the real guerrilla fighters were hiding themselves in the hills, where the Pakistani army was hesitant to go. In the fight against Balochistan revolutionaries, Irani forces also helped Pakistani troops as they were afraid that the uprising may instigate the Balochis of Iran too.

 THE FIFTH PHASE OF INSURGENCY

The Punjabi-dominated Pakistani army continued with carnage of Balochis, hence their freedom struggle continued. In 2005, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Mir Baloch Marri, both respected leaders of Balochistan, presented a 15- point agenda to the Pakistani government, demanding more autonomy, more royalty for the mineral resources of the province and stoppage of construction of military bases in the state. The federal government did not respond to the memorandum, and in the meantime, the separatists attacked the Frontier Corps’ Major General Shujaat Zamir and a brigadier. The Pakistani army became furious and used lethal weaponry against the Balochis, in which 79-year-old Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed. Nonetheless about 60 Pakistani soldiers and 7 officers were also exterminated. President General Pervez Musharraf charged Akbar Bugti for several bomb blasts as well as firing of rockets with the intention to kill him.

The Pakistani forces abducted Baloch National Movement (BNM) president Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and two other prominent leaders of BNM in April 2009 and after torturing killed them and threw their bodies in the market to show that the rebels would be eliminated ruthlessly. The Pakistani forces resorted to mayhem but could not break the resolve of the Balochis. Mir Suleiman Dawood Khan of Kalat, on 12 August 2009, declared himself the ruler of an independent state of Balochistan which included Sistan and the Baluchistan province of Iran. Several secessionist groups of Balochistan, including Nawabzada Brahdagh Bugti, declared their allegiance to the Khan of Kalat. The international media also commented that the barbarity in Balochistan downgraded the image of Pakistan in the world. General Abdul Waheed Kakar, former chief of the Pakistan army, while criticising the abomination by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan also stated in a seminar in May 2010 that the military operation launched in 2006 was ‘a crime against Pakistan’. He also stated that Musharraf ‘committed a big mistake’ by launching an operation in Balochistan and it was totally unjustified. The Balochistan High Court issued a bailable arrest warrant against General Musharraf in connection to the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti. The Baloch leader was killed at Taratani in Kohlu district in August 2006 when President General Musharraf ordered an operation in Balochistan to suppress the independence movement.

According to a rough estimate, more than 15,000 civilians were massacred by Pakistani defence forces in Balochistan from 1973 to 2009 and more than 4,500 Balochis were arrested during 2004 and 2005, while more than 14,00,000 persons were displaced during Musharraf’s operation.

EXPLOITATION OF BALOCHISTAN RESOURCES

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan and has an area of 3,47,190 km, which is about 44 per cent of Pakistan’s total area. It is a sparsely inhabited province as the total population of the state is only 1,31,62,222 persons. Of this population of this mineral-rich region, 54.1 per cent is Baloch. However, there is extreme exploitation of the resources of the state by the central government and it is an important reason behind the insurgency. According to statics, Balochistan is the poorest region in south Asia, and the condition is worsening. In 1970, Balochistan’s share of GDP was 4.9 per cent, which further dropped to 3.7 per cent. It has the highest rate of infant and maternal mortality and has the lowest literacy rate in the country. Clean drinking water is not available, employment opportunities are very limited and because of insurgency and poor living conditions, hundreds of thousands of people are internally displaced. The Pakistani army does not allow nongovernmental organisations or international organisations to work freely in Balochistan, citing security reasons. The Balochis assert that the federal government, with disingenuous reasons, is methodically prohibiting the progress of the state, although the government mentions that because of secessionist activities, Pakistani industrialists as well as foreign investors do not want to invest in Balochistan. The Pakistani government also alleges that Baloch Sardars do not want progress of the state as they want to retain their supremacy and that is the reason they oppose developmental projects. The federal government of Pakistan, instead of developing the state manipulates the elections so that their henchmen come to power. The nationalist forces of Balochistan lost 2002 elections because security forces rigged the elections so that Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), which was a coalition of six Islamic parties, including Musharraf’s Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-i-Azam (PMLQ), won the elections and it was also a cause of insurgency in the province.

Baloch leaders are apprehensive that the federal government is slowly but steadily changing the demography of Balochistan in such a way that the Balochis would become a minority in their own state. A large number of Pakhtuns and Afghan refugees were settled in the state, which is disadvantageous to the Balochis. The Baloch leadership also opposes megaprojects because these projects bring lot of non-Balochis and they permanently settle in the state, even after the expiry of these projects. Balochistan, which supplies nearly 80 per cent of the natural gas and coal to the whole of Pakistan, receives the lowest royalty among the states. The mineral-rich Balochistan also has copper and gold mines. Not only this, the central government charges a heavy fee in the name of operational charges and the money given to the state does not reach the masses because of rampant corruption in the country and in the state. The central government has not developed any road network, and the roads developed by the British were mainly in Pashtun-inhabited areas, which is deeply resented by Balochis. The Chinese developed the Gwadar port, but it did not generate employment for the Balochis as the Chinese brought their own engineers and workers. The Pakistan government sold the adjoining land to Punjabi builders, who earned huge profits but the income was not transferred to the locals. In fact, the property was purchased by non-Balochis and they settled in Gwadar. The Balochis protested against the settlement of nonBalochis and posting of the army in Gwadar. The Balochis are apprehensive that the Punjabi-dominated central government would make Gwadar like Karachi, where Sindhis have become a minority because of a large influx of people from other provinces. The Pakistan government, with an ulterior motive, has not developed the educational system in the state. The nationalists feel that because of less education, the Balochis are not proficient to work in modern-day industries. Hence a large number of workers of other states come and settle in the province. They demand that more professional and technical colleges, universities and educational institutions should be opened in the state so that the Balochis also obtain technical and professional education. Balochis also point out that the Pakistani army is Punjabi dominated and the Balochis are discriminated against and the army crushes their independence movement ruthlessly.

PAKISTAN ALLEGES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO REBELS

The Pakistan government alleges that the Baloch movement is not indigenous but it is abetted by foreign countries, especially India and Afghanistan. Pakistan security forces arrested an Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav and portrayed him as an Indian spy. Pakistan, which supports several terrorist outfits, including the Hekmatyar group, to create terrorist activities in Afghanistan perpetually alleges that Afghanistan assists Balochistan secessionist organisations. In 2012, Rehman Malik, interior minister of Pakistan, alleged that Brahumdagh Bugti of the Balochistan Republican Army had taken houses in Kabul and Afghan intelligence personnel were rendering training to Baloch separatists. Major General Obaidullah Khan Khattak of the Frontier Corps also alleged in 2012 that Baloch secessionist outfits were running more than 30 camps in Afghanistan, where Baloch rebels were getting training. Pakistanis also contend that Iraq also assists Baloch rebels. In February 1973, Pakistani security agencies searched the Iraqi embassy in Islamabad and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition which was meant for Baloch secessionist outfits. Besides these countries, Pakistan security agencies also charge that Israel and the United States also support Baloch rebels.

GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE STATE

Pakistani security forces abducted, tortured and killed thousands of innocent Balochis between 2003 and 2012. Balochis mention that the reprehensible ISI initiated a policy of ‘kill and dump’ to terrorise the Balochis. Under this policy, they abduct suspected Baloch activists and political and student leaders and burn and break the body parts and then throw their mutilated bodies on roads to scare the masses.

A July 2011 report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan clearly blames the ISI and the Frontier Corps for disappearances of and atrocities on Balochis. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Pakistan Taliban also killed several Shias, Hindus and other minorities in Balochistan at the behest of the ISI to intimidate the Balochis and create communal disharmony. Human rights activists mention that these systematic killings and abductions of teachers and the literate community would not only hamper the progress but also take the state back to the primitive age.

IMPORTANT OUTFITS FIGHTING FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF BALOCHISTAN

 Baloch leaders were fighting for the independence of the state just after the creation of Pakistan. As the federal government continued with the discrimination against and exploitation of Balochistan, the resentment increased and several Baloch nationalist as well as sectarian groups emerged. The prominent outfits are as follows.

BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION ARMY

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a prominent nationalist outfit and fights for the independence of the state. The outfit regularly attacks government installations and in 2000, it carried out a series of bomb blasts in government offices. It was declared a terrorist outfit and banned by the Pakistan government on 7 April 2006. The BLA was getting assistance from Russians and was very active during Russian occupation in Afghanistan. The activities of the BLA dried up after the departure of Russian forces from Afghanistan, but in 1973 a large cache of arms was seized from the Iraqi embassy in Islamabad, which was meant for the BLA. Khair Bakhsh Marri and Hyrbyair Marri were prominent leaders of the BLA. The ISI alleges that Russia and India assist the BLA in training and also fund the outfit. In December 2005, the BLA fired several rockets on a paramilitary camp where President General Musharraf was scheduled to visit. The BLA extremists also killed a few teachers considered near the administration, Punjabi labourers and security officials. On 21 November 2011, the BLA killed about 40 security personnel who were guarding a private coal mine. Again on 31 December 2011, it attacked the house of a former minister in which 13 persons were killed and more than 30 were injured. BLA insurgents also destroyed Quaid-e-Azam Residency in Balochistan in June 2013. The BLA has 500 full-time cadres but has the sympathy of a large number of Balochis as they are fighting for the independence of Balochistan. Analysts mention that the BLA has the support of other nationalist outfits, especially the Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Lashkar-e-Balochistan, Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF), etc.

 BALOCHISTAN REPUBLICAN ARMY

 The BRA was constituted in 2006 to liberate Balochistan from the repressive Pakistani forces. It is fighting for the restitution of a sovereign Balochistan. The banned BRA uses guerrilla techniques against Pakistani forces and resorts to ambush, sabotage and hit-and-run methods. It attacks Pakistani security forces as well as their installations, including communication systems, offices, outposts, power stations, and railway tracks, as Pakistani forces use these places to exploit the natural resources of the state. The BRA opposes Pakistani as well as foreign firms as all of them work against the interests of Balochistan. The dedicated cadres of the BRA successfully attacked several offices of Pakistani and foreign firms, including Chinese firms. The outfit is against the CPEC. Brahumdagh Bugti is the president of the BRA.

BALOCH LIBERATION FRONT

 The ideology of the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), led by Dr. Allah Nazar, is to establish an independent sovereign country. The organisation, which has 6,000 active cadres, continuously attacks Pakistani forces. In July 2013, BLF militants attacked a coastguard check post and killed more than 25 coastguards. In Balochistan, most of the parties have feudal leadership but Dr. Nazar belongs to a middle-class family and participates in real fighting with the federal forces and that is the reason that he has great respect among BLF cadres as well as among other belligerent groups of Balochistan. The BLF was banned on 8 September 2010.

 UNITED BALOCH ARMY

 The United Baloch Army (UBA) was constituted due to an interfamily feud between Mehran Marri and his brother Hyrbyair Marri. BLA cadres alleged that Mehran Marri and his friends embezzled USD 3 million and stole weapons worth USD 800 million from the BLA and founded the UBA. The newly constituted party bombed a Rawalpindi-bound train at Sibi station and killed more than 17 persons. Again, on 29 May 2015, UBA militants killed 22 ethnic Pashtuns. However, the BRP and BLA mention that the UBA is weakening the Baloch struggle by these terrorist acts. The Pakistani government declared the UBA as a terrorist organisation and banned it on 15 March 2013; nevertheless, the outfit is working clandestinely.

LASHKAR-E-BALOCHISTAN

 Javed Mengal, the son of Ataullah Mengal, was the founder member of Lashkar-e-Balochistan (L-e-B) and Khan Baloch was the spokesman of the organisation. The group claimed responsibility for a series of bomb blasts in 2012 in Lahore, Karachi and Quetta, in which a large number of persons were killed and wounded. The outfit is active in Pakistan and Afghanistan and functions in the pattern of an army. The lowest unit is called a battalion, which consists of about 20 militants. The outfit was declared a terrorist organisation by the Pakistan government and banned in August 2012.

BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION UNITED FRONT

 The BLUF was founded in 2009, and it was carved out from the cadres of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO). The outfit came to limelight in when it kidnapped John Solecki, an American who was working in Quetta for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The outfit demanded the release of several Balochis who were in Pakistani prisons, but in April, Solecki was released on humanitarian grounds. According to statics, the BLUF carried out about 28 terrorist attacks in which about 29 persons were killed, including Shafq Ahmed Khan, the education minister of Balochistan province. The outfit was banned by the Pakistan government on 8 September 2010.

BALOCH STUDENTS ORGANISATION

 The BSO was founded in November 1967 in Karachi, and it is the largest Baloch organisation but it is divided into various smaller factions, like BSO (Pajjar), BSO (Mengal) and BSO (Azad). BSO (Azad) was declared a terrorist organisation by the Pakistan government and banned on 15 March 2013. There were several splinter groups, including BSO (Awami), BSO (Sohb), BSO (Yaseen), BSO (Hayee), BSO (Aman), BSO (Star), BSO (Nadir), and BSO (Muttahida). These factions had some ideological and personal differences, but overtly all were against the subjugation of Balochistan by Islamabad.

 BALOCH NATIONALIST PARTIES ARE AGAINST THE CPEC

The 3,000 km long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would connect the Gwadar port of Balochistan to the Xinjiang region of China. The USD 46 billion megaproject includes several hydro-power projects, railway tracks, multilane all-weather highways, etc. The federal government claims that the CPEC would provide more than 7,00,000 jobs and would uplift the economic condition of Balochistan. The nationalist leaders of Balochistan contradict the claim and point out that the CPEC is neither good for Pakistan nor beneficial to Balochistan; it would only be advantageous to China. They further reveal that several projects had to be made by Pakistan and the present economic condition of the country is pitiable and it cannot afford to complete these projects. The economists also claim that China is giving loan at a higher rate of interest and Pakistan would not able to repay the same. The other terms and conditions of the agreement are kept secret, which may damage the country in the long run. The Balochis claim that China might act like the East India Company and would hegemonize the area. However, the principal objection of the Balochis is that although the CPEC is passing through their areas, the basic benefits would be usurped by the Punjabis. They also fear that under the garb of the CPEC, several non-Balochis would come and settle in Balochistan and would change the demography of the province. Not only this, the government would extract more minerals from the state without giving due compensation. The Baloch nationalist organisations have already threatened that they would not allow the CPEC to pass from their areas. The Pakistan government has to provide extra security to Chinese workers as in the past, a few Chinese were killed by these outfits. The Chinese are also apprehensive about the security of their personnel who would be working on this megaproject. The Baloch nationalist outfits attacked an electricity grid in January, which disrupted about 80 per cent of the power supply of the country. In the past, Chinese engineers and workers were kidnapped and killed by different terrorist organisations. Baloch rebels also interrupted the supply of articles to Chinese firms although it seldom comes in the press. Baloch nationalists also attack the Chinese to hamper work in the Gwadar seaport. The analysts indicate that the Chinese would not invest the promised money in the CPEC as it passes through a turbulent region where the clout of the Pakistan government does not exist.

 THE WAY FORWARD

First of all, Pakistan should discontinue fomenting trouble in other countries, especially in India and Afghanistan, and should also stop alleging that other countries are assisting Baloch rebels. The despicable ISI arrested an innocent Indian Kulbhushan Jadhav and after inhuman torture, got the statements signed that he was an Indian spy. Nevertheless, the ISI had no proof against him and on 7 December 2016, Sartaj Aziz, foreign affairs advisor to the prime minister, accepted that Jadhav was arrested with ‘insufficient evidence’ and the security agencies have no proof except the statements of Jadhav. It strengthens the Indian point of view that India is not involved in the Balochistan uprising.

In fact, the Pakistani government should develop infrastructure, open educational institutions, construct all-weather roads, establish new industries, create jobs and do work on women empowerment so there is all-round development of the state. The security forces should also stop gross human rights violations in the state. The Pakistan government should also give more autonomy and royalty to Balochistan. The Pakistan government should restore proper law and order in the state as the deteriorated law and order strengthens the insurgency. At present, nationalist outfits have successfully attacked more or less all government installations, including army cantonments. Security agencies should galvanise their intelligence networks and should use more technical gadgets to unearth separatists instead of using primitive police techniques of torture and getting forged statements signed. These primordial techniques generate more hatred towards the government. The federal government of Pakistan should try to resolve the grievances of the people of Balochistan. Otherwise, nationalist elements of Sindh, Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit, Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would also revolt against the Punjabi-dominated central government. On 25 February 2012, Sindh nationalists bombed railway tracks in Karachi, Hyderabad, Benazirabad, Mirpur Mathilo, Khairpur and Ghotki, which disrupted the railway traffic of the whole of Sindh. It was the handiwork of the Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SDLA), which is fighting for the establishment of Sindhu Desh.25 The military-controlled federal government is not allowing independent or foreign journalists to visit and report about the real picture of Balochistan; there is a virtual news blackout. The media is under tremendous pressure to paint a positive picture of security forces and the condition of Balochistan. As the media is not allowed to depict the true picture of the province, there is little coverage of the province in the national newspapers. The government must lift the embargo on the press so that journalists can project the true picture; it will help Islamabad to formulate a long-term policy about Balochistan.

 Notes and References 1. Hindu. ‘In a Policy Shift, Narendra Modi Brings up Balochistan Again.’ 16 August 2016. 2. Hansa Malhotra. ‘Kashmir After Burhan Wani: POK Very Much Part of India: PM Modi at All-Party Meet.’ Quint, 12 August 2016. 3. Indian Express. ‘Narendra Modi’s Speech on Independence Day 2016: Here Are the Top Quotes.’ 15 August 2016 and Indian Express. ‘PM Narendra Modi’s Balochistan Remark: The Full Story So Far.’ 26 August 2016. 4. Ibid. 5. Jai Kumar Verma. ‘Baloch Problem and Arrest of Jadhav: India-Pak Ties again Hit a New Low.’ Indiasaga.com, 13 May 2016. 6. Ibid. 7. Deccan Herald. ‘Modi’s Remarks on Balochistan Prove Pakistan’s Contention: Aziz.’ 27 November 2016. 8. Op cit no.5. 9. Malik Siraj Akbar. ‘Why Modi’s Statements Should Be the Least of Our Worries on Balochistan.’ Dawn, 20 August 2016. 10. Wikipedia. ‘Balochistan Conflict.’ And Wikipedia. ‘Ahmad of Kalat.’ and GlobalSecurity.org. ‘Balochistan Insurgency - Second Conflict 1958-59: Led by Nawab Nowroz Khan.’ . 11. Asim Awan. ‘Musharraf’s Balochistan Operation Was a “Mistake”.’ Express Tribune, 16 May 2010. 12. Ibid. 13. Wikipedia. ‘Balochistan, Pakistan.’ 14. Op cit no.10. 15. Ibid. 16. Wikipedia. ‘Balochistan Liberation Army.’ 17. Balochistan Republican Army, 14 April 2013; The Defenders of Motherland, 7 December 2016. JAI KUMAR VERMA 60 January 2017. Volume 20. Number 74. AAKROSH 18. Dawn News Urdu. ‘Situationer: Who’s Who of Baloch Insurgency.’ 1 June 2015. 19. Op cit no.16. 20. Op cit no.18. 21. Op cit no.16. 22. Ibid. 23. Op cit no.5. 24. Times of India. ‘No Conclusive Proof Against “Indian Spy” Jadhav: Aziz.’ 8 December 2016. 25. Wikipedia. ‘Lashkar-e-Balochistan.’ INTERNAL SECURITY DUTIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ARMY AAKROSH. January 2017. Volume 20. Number 74 61 1234567 1234567 1234 1234 123456789012345678901234567890121234