Pakistan’s annexation of Balochistan was a historical blunder

Deprived of international support insurgency keeps boiling under brute military force

Balochistan consists of southern part of Sistan o Baluchestan Province of Iran in the west, Pakistani province of Balochistan in the east, Afghanistan’s Helmand Province in northwest with Gulf of Oman constituting the southern border. The Baloch people are unique ethno-linguistic group spread between these three countries that live in a vast territory the size of France criss-crossed by the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Marginalised throughout history in respective countries specially Pakistan, Balochs have been fighting all along a low level insurgency that reflects more than 150 years of social, political, and economic oppression, colonial subjugation, forcible annexation, denial of sub-state ethnic identity, state interference in local affairs, and lack of genuine development.

Balochistan consisted of four princely states under the British Raj out of which Makran, Las Bela and Kharan willingly joined nascent Pakistan in 1947 whereas Kalat, chose to remain independent. On 15th August—the day after partition of India and Pakistan —the one-day-old Pakistani government planned forcible annexation of Balochistan (the trick was tried again in Kashmir a couple of months later but miserably failed). The Pakistan Army began operations to subdue Kalat-based insurgents and forcibly annexed Balochistan on March 27, 1948 after it had remained independent for 227 days. This spawned Baloch insurgency which has so far led to five phases of armed uprisings; 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1973-77 and 2004 to date and shows no signs of abating. Balochs have been fighting to get back their freedom in the face of Pakistan’s brutality to curb their rights and aspirations for independence. Relations between Baloch nationalists and Pakistan govt have been confrontational as deployment of over twenty five thousand military and paramilitary personnel in counter insurgency operations amplified ethnic grievances. There are three main tribes- Mengal in south and Marri and Bugti in the north but military regards Bugti tribe as main sponsor of anti-state insurgency.

Insurgency entered the second phase in 1955 when Pakistan government introduced One Unit Scheme to integrate four western provinces into one administrative unit to counter ethnically homogeneous and numerically superior Bengalis in East Pakistan. This exercise of religious homogeneity, prompted by Punjabi interests, alienated ethnically distinct Baloch who, like Bengalis, felt underrepresented in politics and military establishments. Both shared an ideological affinity for increased autonomy and a dislike for Punjabis. In 1970 Pakistani President Yahya Khan abolished the ‘One Unit’ policy leading to recognition of Balochistan (incorporating all the Balochistani princely states, the High Commissioners Province and Gwadar) as the fourth province of Pakistan in 1972. Election brought into power the ethno- national party National Alwami Party (NAP) in May 1972- the only real step forward- but Ataullah Mengal’s government was allowed to work only for nine months.

Fourth phase was precipitated by President Bhutto’s illegal and unjustifiable dismissal of the provincial government in 1973 on the grounds of treason which led to most violent Baloch insurgency from 1973 to 1977. Punjabi dominated military’s harsh response, dominated by ethnic concerns, cost 7300 to 9000 Baloch’s lives.

Fifth phase of ongoing and reportedly stronger, broader insurgency began in 2003. In 2005, the Baluch political leaders Nawab Akbar Khan Bugtiand Mir Balach Marri presented a 15-point agenda to the Pakistan government seeking greater control of the province’s resources and a moratorium on the construction of military bases. Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti- blamed for a series of deadly bomb blasts and a rocket attack on President Pervez Musharraf- was killed in 2006 fighting with the Pakistan Army.

The long simmering tensions caused by death and unlawful detention and disappearance of hundreds thereafter broke out into renewed insurgency. In April 2009, Baloch National Movement president Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and two other nationalist leaders Lala Munir and Sher Muhammad were handcuffed, blindfolded and whisked away. The discovery of their bullet-ridden bodies five days later sparked rioting and weeks of strikes, demonstrations, and civil resistance in cities and towns in the aftermath of infamous Turbat killings.

On 12 August 2009, Mir Suleiman Dawood, Khan of Kalat, declared himself ruler of Balochistan and formally announced a Council for Independent Balochistan claiming Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and Pakistani Balochistan in its domain but excluded Afghan Baloch regions. The council boasts of allegiance of ‘all separatist leaders including Nawabzada Bramdagh Bugti.’ and emphasized that the UK had ‘a moral responsibility to raise the issue of Balochistan’s illegal occupation at international level.’ U.S.-based exiled Baloch journalist and newspaper editor Malik Siraj Akbar writes that the ongoing Baloch resistance has created ‘serious challenges’ for the Pakistan government, ‘unlike the past resistance movements’, because it has lasted longer than previous insurgencies, has greater breadth engulfing the entire province ‘from rural mountainous regions to the city centres, involves even women and children at ‘regular protest rallies’, and has drawn more international attention-including a 2012 hearing by the U.S. Congress.

The Baloch separatists are now strengthened with support of members of the powerful Bugti tribe and middle class which makes today’s insurgency stronger than previous ones, but prevailing over Pakistan’s huge army necessitates sustained struggle. As of May 2015, anger over military operations among people in the province is ‘growing and often uncontrollable’. Baloch leaders are so much alienated from the process that they feel Parliamentary politics is not an option for them which force them to make politics with weapons.

(Second part of the article to cover economic, political, ethnic and international coordinates of Baloch insurgency as well as human rights abuse)

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