Pakistani generals forced Balochs to take up arms

Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency and brutal military crackdown for decades. However, the vast and resource-rich province has witnessed a spate of deadly attacks in recent times. Pakistan’s largest province recently witnessed a drastic increase in attacks on Pakistani security forces, with Baloch rebels inflicting heavy casualties on state forces in several operations. The many experts following the Baloch insurgency believe that the recruitment of the Baloch separatist armed groups has increased dramatically, and this has enabled the groups to launch more attacks.

The continued violent turn in the Baloch movement is considered part of the ‘fifth wave’ of the ethno-nationalist insurgency in the region, which began in the early 2000s. The Pakistani military has been a master at deflecting blame and labeling failures as grand conspiracies or political failures. But in reality, it is the Pakistani military that is responsible for igniting most of the internal insurgencies that Pakistan faces, especially the Baloch ones. From the very beginning, powerful military generals of Pakistan have portrayed the Balochistan issue as a security issue rather than a social or ethnic issue. By doing this they were given the final say on all policy issues relating to Balochistan.

The military always tries to shift the entire burden of public outrage in Balochistan onto the government and bureaucracy, by exaggerating the role of ‘neglect’, while the more threatening brutal practices towards the Baloch people are conveniently brushed under the carpet . It is the gross human rights violations and unspeakable atrocities committed by the Pakistani army against the Baloch people that are pushing the oppressed locals to take up arms against the state. Let us take a look at the practices of the army that have alienated the common man of Balochistan.

Enforced disappearances/murder and dumping policy – This is a major source of popular discontent and also the real tipping point for the violent unrest in Balochistan. Enforced disappearances in Balochistan take place during so-called anti-terrorist operations carried out by the Pakistan Army and various paramilitary, law enforcement and intelligence agencies under its command. Any person believed to be a supporter or sympathizer of the Baloch freedom movement is considered a threat and kidnapped, tortured or killed. This not only affects ordinary people, but also high-ranking officials. The 2006 arrest of Akhtar Mengal, the Prime Minister of Balochistan, is a striking example. The number of cases of Baloch disappearance has been attributed to Pakistani security forces or the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).

Use of death squads– The military has outsourced targeting of Baloch separatists and political activists to private militias known as ‘Death Squads’. These squadrons receive all kinds of support from the military, such as training, weapons and intelligence. Many death squad operatives have turned to mainstream politics with the help of the Pakistani army. These squads under the protection of the army are led by hardcore criminals and drug lords, while a few of them are also led by extremists, pro-Pakistani politicians and former separatist insurgents who have surrendered to the authorities in the recent past under reconciliation programs.

Spread of extremism– Another strategy used by the military to suppress local insurgency, especially in the northern parts of Balochistan, is to Islamize the youth, with the help of seminaries run by religious groups close to the military. The military’s top brass thought that by promoting hardline Sunni Islam they could undermine the essentially secular character of the Baloch movement and divide the largely tribal-dominated structure of Baloch society. This attempt to promote extremism has resulted in the proliferation of Deobandi madrasas and the rise of Sunni extremist groups such as Sipah-e-Sahba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in ​​the province.

Seizing economic opportunities The ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its flagship project. That is to say, the Gwadar port has not provided any significant benefit to the local population. The projects under CPEC have systematically excluded the indigenous Baloch people, not only depriving them of employment and development prospects but also forcibly clearing them to make way for the construction sites. It would be accurate to say that CPEC projects have only brought investment and economic opportunities to the military. CPEC revolves around the role of the Pakistani military, whose role is not limited to providing security to the corridor but also looking after its own economic interests. Ayesha Siddiqa, a prominent Pakistani political scientist and author, wrote in his book titled ‘Military Inc.’ While it is the Prime Minister who inaugurates the key projects of the CPEC, it is the Pakistani military that controls them.

The Pakistani military does not know how to contain the insurgencies it faces. The General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi only knows how to use excessive force to silence any voice of discontent. The military elites’ reapplication of colonial tactics on other ethnic groups (non-Punjabis) clearly illustrates the military’s lack of empathy for fellow countrymen. It also shows that the country has still not learned the lessons from its past. Pakistan must understand that the military must concentrate more on protecting the state from external enemies; for internal affairs, the institution must support a political system governed by parliamentary and democratic forces. The sooner she realizes this, the better it will be for Balochistan and the entire country.

This article received input from Bahot Baloch, a prominent Baloch journalist.