By Meher Shah

Baluchistan is the largest province of Pakistan (43% of the landmass) with the least population density (5% of the total population). Though it has vast natural resources, Baluchistan is one of poorest and most backward regions of the country. Despite all its importance for Pakistan, it has long been facing under-development and conflicts. It has been a witness to a total of five conflicts dating back to 1948 and which continue till date. And what’s the reason for these conflicts? Well these issues range from greater autonomy, human rights abuses, enhanced royalties from provincial revenue and natural resources..and more recently, to demand for full secession.

 Even prior to 1947, the ruler of Baluchistan never intended to be a part of Pakistan. Accordingly, Mir Ahmad Yar Khan, the then Khan of Kalat, declared Baluchistan’s independence on August 12 1947. Further, the Baluchistan parliament rejected merging with Pakistan on several occasions between December 1947 and February 1948. However, Pakistan’s leadership refused to recognise this declaration of independence, and forcibly annexed the region by using unjustified military force. As a result, the nationalist movement by the separatists, seeking independence, has led to continuing violence, unrest and political disorder in the region.

 Since partition, a number of major wars have been fought between Baluch separatists and the Pakistani state forces. The first war was fought immediately after partition in 1948, and the second war, a decade later, in 1958. Each war lasted a few months, ending with mass human rights violations, illegal detentions, destruction of property and mass exodus of the local population to safer havens due to the unabashed use of military power and the high-handed approach of the Pakistani civil establishment. Baluchistan’s third war began in 1962 and terminated after six years in 1968. It ended with the Baluchs again suffering heavy losses. From 1973 to 1975, a far bloodier war was fought when the then Pakistani Premier Zulfikar Bhutto ordered full-scale mobilisation of the armed forces to suppress the Baluch separatist movement and control the deteriorating situation. The Pak Army deployed about 80000 troops, reinforced by helicopter gunships, armoured vehicles and mortars, while the Baluchs comprised just some 1000 guerrillas, armed with ‘ancient’ rifles. The separatists suffered heavy losses with more than 3300 casualties (including civilians) and 7000 families displaced, seeking refuge in Afghanistan.

 To prevent dissent, and suppress the aspirations of the Baluchs, Pakistan as a state policy has repeatedly used brutal military power and kept the province educationally, economically and socially backward. In spite of Baluchistan having the largest reserves of Pakistan’s mineral and energy resources, its control over benefits accruing from its vast assets is marginal. The development of Gwadar port and settling of a large number of non-Baluchs in the region have further deprived the ethnic Baluch population of the economic opportunities arising in the region. The Baluchs see these as mechanisations of the federal government to swamp the province with a non-ethnic population, and turn them into minorities in their own land.

The main issue is that development per-se has different meanings for Baluchistan and the rest of Pakistan. For the former, development is rightly linked with the creation of employment opportunities and resultant improvement in their standard of living. However, for Pakistan, development means obtaining Baluchistan’s mineral wealth and expediting the mammoth projects being implemented with China’s support, the Gwadar port and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which further aggravates Baluch grievances since jobs and other benefits created by these projects are invariably grabbed by outsiders including Chinese nationals. Baluchistan’s share in the national GDP stands at less than 3% today. The province has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates, the highest poverty rate and the lowest literacy rate in Pakistan.

 Baluch nationalists have persistently protested against the marginalisation of the local populace and demanded apportionment of their eligible share of income and economic opportunities arising in the province. However, the government has paid little attention to the genuine concerns of the Baluchs, leading to restlessness and discontent. The effect of the political and military injustice meted out to the Baluchs has been the spreading insurgency to every corner of Baluchistan, including sections of the educated younger generation.

 Baluchistan continues to be a battleground with the freedom-seeking Baluchs on one side, and the brutal state forces and unjust polity on the other. The discovery of more than 800 graves of abducted and martyred Baluchs in Tutak and 18,000 persons missing in 2014 without trace is a testimony of the high-handed approach of the security forces and the atrocities meted out by the state to the Baluchs. Claiming a methodical slaughter in Baluchistan by Pakistan security forces, the Baluch Human Rights Council (BHRC) urged the Group of Seven (G7) leaders to examine the terrible crimes by Pakistan in the region. In a memorandum to the G7 leaders in June 2021, the Council urged them to send a UN fact-finding mission to investigate the extra-judicial killings and mass disappearances of the Baluch political and social activists.

 The inhuman atrocities of Pakistan Government on innocent people of Baluchistan are in stark contrast to its hollow expression of solidarity and support to the Kashmir issue wherein it never hesitates to falsely highlight the just stand of Indian Government. The Pakistani establishment, which has been shedding crocodile tears since the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K, needs to be questioned as to how a large number of Baluch nationals have disappeared only to be found dead later, with bodies pierced with bullets and having been tormented. Even the Supreme Court of Pakistan has time and again criticised intelligence agencies and security forces for being involved in extrajudicial custodies and murder.

It is unfathomable when one sees the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan approach the United Nations time and again for intervening in the Kashmir matter when there are uncountable human right violations daily taking place right under his nose against the Baluchs. Pakistan needs to stop this double-faced behaviour at once and prior pointing finger at India over Kashmir issue, must first clean up its own mess in Baluchistan.