In recent acts of terrorism in Balochistan, 54 people, including 14 security personnel, were martyred, while 20 others, including an Assistant Commissioner, Levies, and security personnel, were injured. In response, security forces killed 21 terrorists. In Musa Khel district, heavily armed terrorists stopped passenger buses and, after identifying the passengers, shot dead 23 of them. The victims were laborers from the southern districts of Punjab. Terrorist attacks were also carried out in Qalat, Sibi, Panjgur, Mastung, Turbat, Bela, Gwadar, and Quetta, and a railway bridge in Bolan was destroyed by an explosion, disrupting rail service between Punjab and Sindh.
Balochistan is experiencing a new wave of violence that shows no signs of abating. Sunday was particularly brutal in this regard. Groups involved in terrorism in Pakistan change tactics like chameleons. The TTP and its sister organizations exploit religion and nationalism to gain sympathy in the Pashto-speaking regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, targeting security forces. Meanwhile, the BLA, BLF, and Majeed Brigade, under the guise of Baloch nationalism, commit acts of terrorism against security forces and residents from other provinces living in Balochistan.
When considering the patterns and targets of these terrorist activities, it seems that these groups collaborate and facilitate each other for their shared interests. These terrorist organizations also have an interest-based relationship with criminal mafia gangs and white-collar criminals. This is why the terrorists’ financial network remains active, and they continue to receive support within Pakistan. The possibility of these groups penetrating the Pakistani system cannot be ruled out. Afghanistan has become a safe haven for such groups, and there may also be hideouts for them on both sides of the Pak-Iran border. Additionally, they are supported by external powers.
Balochistan is rich in minerals and is a crucial trade corridor. It has reserves of gas, oil, copper, and gold. The success of CPEC depends on the stability of Gwadar port and the maintenance of peace in Balochistan. For terrorists and terrorism to survive, three things are essential: money, weapons, and training. The groups carrying out terrorism in Pakistan have access to all three, without which terrorism in Pakistan would not be possible. The maritime routes of Balochistan connect to the Middle East. From Balochistan’s coastal areas, it is easy to reach the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea. The seas adjoining Balochistan are a junction of the East and West and a crucial route for global maritime navigation.
Due to this strategic location, Balochistan has become a target for anti-Pakistan forces. Their goal and dream is to gain access to and control these shores, something Pakistan’s policymakers must be fully aware of. These attacks not only reveal a clear difference in the militants’ strategy but also indicate an increase in their capabilities based on the weapons used. This not only highlights the increasing violent capacity of Baloch militants but also suggests that they may have established connections with the TTP somewhere along the line. In South Asia, the Sri Lankan military crushed the Tamil Tigers, thereby establishing peace in Sri Lanka.
In several areas of Balochistan, government schools and employees, especially teachers, are targeted. There are also attempts to harm the development of Gwadar port along modern lines and to undermine the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Acts of terrorism have become a daily routine. The terrorist groups in Balochistan distort historical facts and present them to the new generation. Balochistan’s role in the struggle for independence is not less than any other region of Pakistan. When the Pakistan Resolution was passed in 1940, Qazi Isa represented Balochistan and strongly supported the resolution, which eventually paved the way for the creation of Pakistan.
It has become necessary to bring these historical facts to the forefront of the Baloch people. The 18th Constitutional Amendment has increased the rights and resources allocated to Balochistan, and the mega-projects of the federal and provincial governments are playing a crucial role in the social and economic development of the province. The efforts to weaken the relationship between the people of Balochistan and the state could potentially affect the development projects aimed at ending the province’s backwardness, poverty, and deprivation. The subversive and anti-state elements are misleading the Baloch youth against the state of Pakistan through baseless propaganda regarding Balochistan.
Their aim is to promote terrorism, extremism, and unrest in Balochistan. People familiar with history know that the people of Balochistan desired to be part of Pakistan. Unfortunately, today, a few individuals have deviated from the path of patriotism followed by their ancestors and have been misled by traitors into engaging in anti-state activities. However, the brave people of Balochistan are fully determined to thwart such nefarious conspiracies.
A large number of Baloch youth are joining the Pakistan Army. By connecting to the sacred duty of defending the homeland, nearly 20,000 youth have not only gained respectable employment but also fostered feelings of affinity between the people of Balochistan and the Pakistan Army. The Pakistan Army has also focused on upgrading educational institutions in remote districts of Balochistan and establishing formal and technical educational institutions, benefiting over 25,000 Baloch students with modern and quality educational facilities. Similarly, the provision of medical facilities has also made the harsh lives of the Baloch people easier. In short, the Pakistan Army’s efforts to ease the lives of the people in Balochistan have played a key role in instilling a sense of Pakistani identity in the younger generation and making them aware of their importance in national life.
Today, anti-Pakistan forces are at the forefront of efforts to bleed this province. Extremist movements and their so-called leaders are part of the conspiracy to weaken Pakistan. The fact that Balochistan is the most underdeveloped province in Pakistan in terms of development cannot be denied. Similarly, the role of external forces in the economic exploitation and political deprivation of Balochistan is an undeniable reality.
These forces have left no stone unturned in destabilizing Balochistan’s internal situation through financial and political support. Given this, along with the use of force, there is a need for a political strategy in Balochistan that comprehensively addresses all aspects of the province’s complex issues. There is a need to initiate a political process in Balochistan, beginning with an all-parties conference that addresses all political, economic, and social issues and builds consensus among all stakeholders.