Recently, a series of coordinated attacks by the terrorists in different cities of Balochistan, left more than 50 dead, sending shockwaves across the country. The separatist insurgent group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility for the attacks. The event occurs at a time when the Ground Chief Commander of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is on his official visit to Pakistan for discussion on issues of mutual interest especially CPEC.
It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first time BLA has carried out targeted attacks against Punjabis. Earlier this year, in April, 9 passengers from Punjab were killed in Noshki and 6 were brutally murdered in the Turbat region in October 2023. By targeting the Punjabis who travel to Balochistan in search of livelihood, the BLA aims to deter the non-locals from working on initiatives like CPEC, thereby sabotaging the development projects.
The BLA’s actions and rhetoric present a notable contradiction. It demands Balochistan’s secession from Pakistan, citing the underdeveloped state of Balochistan as one of the key reasons which implies a desire for economic growth and better living conditions for the people of Balochistan. However, its repeated attacks targeting the infrastructure, ongoing development projects and the labor seem to be in conflict with its stated motivational factor.
The only way to eliminate the BLA and its likes is to take all the tribal groups on board and address the genuine grievances of the Baloch people.
Balochistan’s natural resources, strategic location and the ongoing CPEC project makes it a linchpin for Pakistan. However, its importance for Pakistan also makes it a thorn in the enemy’s side. The external hostile forces have left no stone unturned to spread anarchy in this part of the country through their proxies. Earlier in July, the arrested TTP commander, Nasrullah alias Maulvi Mansoor, made astonishing revelations about the collaboration between BLA, RAW and TTP. The widespread nature of the current attacks raises the possibility of coordination between BLA-TTP fighters in orchestrating these attacks as the BLA itself seems incapable of independently carrying out attacks in multiple cities.
Additionally, such unfortunate incidents give the external forces an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. In the wake of these attacks, different social media accounts have already been seen spewing hatred against Balochis and encouraging the Punjabis to boycott Balochis and Baloch businesses.
This deliberate attempt to exploit the situation and sow seeds of discord between the two ethnic groups echoes the model applied in East Pakistan by New Delhi. However, given the current political polarization, attempts to foment ethnic divide can have far reaching consequences.
A multifaceted approach is the only way to stem the rising tide of insurgency. While the terrorist elements should be dealt with an iron fist, non-kinetic measures are also equally important. The only way to eliminate the BLA and its likes is to take all the tribal groups on board and address the genuine grievances of Baloch people as the anti-state elements feed off the locals’ especially the youth’s grievances against the state.
The writer is a freelance columnist.