It is not easy to comprehend the complicated issue of terrorism in Balochistan. Much of the credit for this complexity goes to the self-styled activists pretending to be the sole flagbearers of human rights. Sensational posts on social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) highlighting the plight of a particular ethnic community are not enough to prove the credibility of someone as a human rights activist. I often read the ‘X’ posts of a renowned female activist, associated with an elite university in Lahore city, critical of the policies of the state, and always aligned with the ethnic pressure groups.
There are a few others like her as well, who continuously accuse the state of human rights violations; however, they remain tight-lipped whenever hardcore terrorist groups kill innocent citizens and security personnel in cold blood. Ironically, the blue-eyed ethnic groups (PTM, BYC and NDM, etc.) of the ‘elite activists club’ are known for igniting the issues of public interest with the fuel of ethnic prejudice. The dramatic rise of BYC in a few parts of Balochistan a few years back was interpreted as an opening for the middle class in the challenging field of politics against the well-trenched influential land lords.
The BLA has been designated a terrorist organisation by the UK and US, with Pakistan pushing for a UN listing.
Unfortunately, the platform could not contribute more than advocating for the banned terrorist groups (like BLA) and demonising the counter terrorism efforts of the state institutions. Meaningful silence of the BYC and a handful of self-styled HR activists on the brutal terrorism in Balochistan speaks too much about the purity of their intentions.
The ugliness of this selective activism is more exposed after a BLA-specific development in Australia. The Australian Government has recently imposed counter-terrorism sanctions on the BLA, targeting its leaders Bashir Zaib, Hammal Rehan, and Jeeyand Baloch. This move freezes assets and prohibits financial support to the group, with penalties including fines and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for non-compliance. The BLA has been designated a terrorist organisation by the UK and US, with Pakistan pushing for a UN listing.
The Balochistan Government has offered rewards for information on the targeted leaders. While criticising the CT efforts of the state, why do the HR activists and ethnic pressure groups avoid condemning the banned groups like BLA, who openly claim responsibility for heinous terrorist attacks? Unbiased quarters and spokespersons of the state have been accusing the BYC of acting as a “narrative shield” for the BLA, rebranding terrorists as “persecuted intellectuals” and exploiting human rights language to legitimise their actions. The BYC’s emergence has been linked to an increase in female involvement in terrorism, with women like Shari Baloch carrying out suicide attacks. Critics argue that the BLA and BYC claim to fight for rights but are accused of exploitation and coercion, contradicting their stated goals.
The international community is strengthening cooperation against terrorism, with Australia standing firm with partners against the BLA threat. Distractions created by the ethnic pressure groups are obviously playing in favour of hardcore terrorist groups. Common masses, the real stakeholders of Balochistan, should be made aware of the true nature of the nexus between the ethnic pressure groups, banned terrorist organisations, and the handful of self-styled elite intellectuals.
The writer is a student.