Pakistan's Dirty War (Balochistan)

The Baluch Insurgency (1946 - 2XXX)

Sep 26, 2024

Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) rebel leader Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch (2nd to the right) with other militants. The BLF is categorized as a terrorist group.

The Google Earth image of the port city of Gwadar in Pakistan gives the impression that it is a developing town that doubles as a tourist attraction. As the land juts out from the main part of Balochistan Province and into the Arabian Sea, the titles of housing schemes appear in various places. Highlighted are the names of the International Football Stadium, Gwadar Institute of Technology and Gwadar Cricket stadium. The name Newtown just off the main boulevard sounds like another development. I started to imagine families waiting to move into their prefabricated homes like U.S. families did when filling the cul-de-sacs of the Rockwellian 1950s.

The Gwadar Beach Resort is just off of Marine Drive, but the five-star Zaver Pearl-Continental really caught my attention. I found their website and looked at their offers promising an experience that will “uncover a world of luxury,” and so I curiously tried to see the rates only to learn that no rooms were available on any of the dates that I selected.

Continuing my virtual exploration of the region, the name Pak-China Supermarket struck me as odd. It is the only supermarket in the region, and it appears to be a collaboration between Pakistan and China. This kind of collaboration led me to realize that the development of this region might not include the Baloch people.

Google Earth image of Gwadar Port, 2024

A World of Luxury

For the past few years, I’ve had a fascination about Balochistan because it has the distinction of being the biggest province (134,050 sq mi or 347,190 km) and the poorest region in Pakistan. In many ways, it is a black hole for violence. Nationals are often threatened, disappear, or extra-judicially murdered. Any foreigners who visit the area are observed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a division of the Pakistan Military, and subsequently deported.

In a sparsely populated region with an estimated 13.6 million people (2022), according to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities Report, it is estimated that by 2050 that number will rise to 24 million, despite a decline in fertility. Most of the people live in the capital (and region) of Quetta, or as it is alternatively known, “the city of secrets.” This name is well-known due to the large number of military and intelligence agents headquartered there along with drug kingpins who live in mansions in the division. From there, the multi-ethnic peoples (Baloch, Pashtun, Punjabis, Sindhis, and Afghan refugees) are spread between other divisions (Makran, Nasirabad, Sibi, Kalat, and Zhob), each with their own towns and, in some cases, settlements ranging from a few huts to a few hundred or thousands.

Balochistan consists of a rough arid desert, mountain ranges, and a few roads. Despite being the richest (yes, that’s true) region due to its mineral wealth of gold, copper, natural gas, oil, and a developing port, very little of these riches go into developing the region and improving the quality of life for the local people. In simple terms, Pakistan cannot survive without this region, and the region cannot survive because of the Pakistani government.

According to the same United Nations’ 2022 report, it is difficult to find up-to-date reports on the region due to the scarcity of any administration and planning:

“No one wants to be aware of suffocation of people in Balochistan . . . The discontent due to hatred and alienation and lack of voice in own affairs nurtured miseries and expropriation. Mistrust and hatred spreads and grows in evil soil of poverty and strife.”

The statistics are all bad and most are worsening. About 1,000 maternal deaths occur annually, and 31% of children under five are underweight due to malnutrition. More than half of the girls (58%) ages 5 to 16 are out of school compared with 38% of the boys. About 7,200 schools are needed over the next 15 years to provide an adequate education. According to the 2017 numbers, 7% of the population has access to sanitation, and 20% to safe drinking water. Electricity is accessible to 25% of the population, with only a marginal improvement over the past seven years.

If you are not familiar with any of these details or with Balochistan at all, this is by design. Its story stays out of the press, and the United States and other world powers stay out of the affairs of the region due to Pakistan’s recurring quasi-usefulness in matters of terrorism and spying of neighboring countries for which Pakistan has often received financial aid and occasionally received weapons.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan), The Khan of Kalat, and Fatima Jinnah (sister).

Independent State of Kalat

Balochistan was once a part of Greater Baluchistan (there are multiple spellings of the name) that was divided between three countries: Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The previous partitions were due to interference by the British in 1870–1872 to ward off raids and by Baloch tribal leaders to counter threats from invading countries.

The Kingdom of Kalat is the most prominent of a number of tribal groups that live in the region. “The relations between the Government of India and the Khanate of Kalat were, theoretically and formally up to August 1947, based on the long-standing Treaty of 1876 which committed the British in Article 3 to recognize and respect Kalat’s independence,” according to Martin Axmann.

The Great Partition left all sides—Muhammad Ali Jinnah, father of modern Pakistan; Jawaharlal Nehru, head of the Nationalist Movement of India and first Prime Minister; and Lord Mountbatten, British Viceroy of India—the lingering questions of how independent, princely states would be managed or incorporated moving forward. One can simply look at what transpired in Kashmir and Jammu to see how poorly these regions were managed. Both sides fought in the Indo Pakistani War of 1947–1948) and divided the region while disregarding Kalat’s status. This example is still valid today.

Lord Mountbatten at Viceroy House in New Delhi, Credit Getty Images

To clarify Kalat’s status, in 1876 the Khanate of Kalat under Khudadad Khan was formerly detached from the British Indian Empire. The Government of India Act of 1935 included Kalat as a part of Balochistan among the princely states and thereafter referring to it as British Balochistan.

Its right to representation in legislation had been sanctioned despite the protest of the Khan. Protests in both verbal and written form were submitted to remind the government that Kalat was not a part of British India as per the 1876 agreement.

“On the transference of power in British India, the subsisting treaties between the Khan of Kalat and the British Government would come to an end, and whatever obligations have been imposed on the Khan by these treaties will ipso facto terminate. The consequence will be that the State of Kalat will become fully sovereign and independent in respect of both external and internal matters, and will be free to conclude treaties with any other Government or State.”

By early 1947, Jinnah promised the Kalat of a continuing independence status under Pakistan. This was later reinforced with an official, albeit a bad-faith, agreement signed between Kalat and Jinnah at a conference in Delhi on August 4, 1947. Mountbatten decided not to sign.

Rumors swirl around the period leading up to the partition date and afterwards. One rumor was that the agreement was signed to keep Kalat away from India. Another is that it was Pakistan’s intention to take the state by force. Prime Minster Nawabzada Aslam Khan of Kalat who was serving a dual role as a Pakistan civil servant and to many an “inside man,” also posed additional issues especially in regards to loyalty. What made matters worse was a broadcast on All India Radio (AIR) on March 27, 1948, that the Khan of Kalat was moving toward accession to India.

On June 30, 1947, a referendum of the Shahi Jirga was held in Quetta to decide the future of British Balochistan, specifically the tribal areas of Marri, Bugti, Khetran, and Baloch areas of Dera Ghazi Khan. What the majority of the attendants were not told is that the event was actually scheduled for June 29. Only eight attendees participated out of 55 representatives who were invited.

This event effectively made British Balochistan, which included the Khanate, a part of Pakistan. The newly minted country added -stan in its name. However, the Khan of Kalat proclaimed his independence and rejected the forced accession with Pakistan. Leaning on what he thought was his relationship with Jinnah (as his representative) and the contributions made to his Muslim League, on March 27, 1948 the Pakistan Army invaded Kalat and forced a surrender only three days later that effectively ended its independence. According to previously undisclosed documents, the forced annexation was done under British advisement to Jinnah.

Baloch Liberation Front Militant, Credit BLF

Strategic and Economic Importance

Balochistan has a long history of strategic and economic importance to not only Pakistan but also to foreign countries. After the partition, the British government under Clement Attlee (1945–1951) moved toward using Kalat as a base to spy and engage in covert operations in the region. This change in direction originated with a report titled, Post-War Reconstruction—Balochistan, (1944), written by Major General R. C. Money of strategic planning in India.

Initially on board with keeping a British force outside of British India, by 1947 it was deemed that due to Baluchistan’s overall weakness as an independent country it would be best to deal directly with Pakistan who could accommodate the requests of the British.

Additional documents highlight that Jinnah was hesitant toward annexation by direct force. Instead, he was in favor of negotiating terms with various regions. Finding some success with the feudal areas of Lasbela and Kharan within Kalat, it was continued pressure under Mountbatten that moved Jinnah to a more forceful direction.

Today, the region’s borders make it a hotspot for drug running, spying, weapons, and about any type of criminal activity. The best description of its activities is by journalist Declan Wash.

“Armed convoys burn through its deserts by night, smuggling Afghan heroin to Iran and then the West, Iranian dissidents shelter inside its western border, plotting against the regime in Tehran. On the coast, skiffs loaded with contraband slip onto remote beaches under moonlight. Inland, scruffy little towns boast incongruously long runways built by sheikhs from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.”

Pakistan Navy (PN) along with Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) apprehended 200 Kg of Ice and 99 Kg of Crystal off Jiwani, Baluchistan, December 2020

Unfortunately, the region has also become home to terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Jhnagvi (Sunni Islam Supremist Group) and the Quetta Shura (Afghan Taliban) who have operated with an almost unbridled freedom in the region.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has also stepped into the area, seizing on its importance after the 9/11 attacks, and has used the region’s airstrips to launch drones to target al-Qaeda members.

Yet it’s real wealth is underneath the ground. In Major General R. C. Money’s report on the region, a secret memo revealed that the region’s agricultural and natural resources were a possible asset if developed. Shortly after accession, the Pakistan government moved toward learning the viability of the area, even going as far as hiring a U.S.–based company, Johnston International of Los Angeles, to suggest plans to develop the region.

Although plans have been put forth to conserve water, soil, and promote vegetation, nothing has been put forth. Instead, quite the opposite has transpired.

The region’s importance in trade/transit, mineral resources, and coastal development led to it being used to keep the Pakistani government afloat. The most valuable resource is natural gas, which was discovered in Sui in Dera Bugti in 1952. The area became the sole provider of gas to the country for a decade and a half and then other regions such as Sindh became gas providers.

Although Pakistan’s constitution states that “The province in which a wellhead of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from that wellhead,” Pakistan does not contribute anything to the development of the region and its people.

The second most valuable resource is coal reserves of which Sindh is the main contributor. Multinational companies have forged deals with the Pakistan government to mine copper and gold within Chagai. While these are big projects, the biggest and most ambitious project to date is the Sino Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Pakistani scholar Zoon: China Pakistan Economic Corridor brings transformative influence. 2024

Sino Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

The current significance of Gwadar extends from 1958 when it was a part of Oman. The reacquisition of the region cost US$3 million after being gifted to a Muscat sultan in 1783 by then current Khan of Kalat.

The CPEC will either become an integral part of Pakistan’s future or its ruin, depending on how it is managed. The region, which in the Baloch language means “gateway of wind,” has gone through many schemes over the decades. In the 1960s it was strongly considered as a successor to Karachi, the main transportation hub and capital of Sindh Province. During the 1970s, it was offered to the United States Navy, but that did not pan out. By the 1980s it was offered to the Russians however this also did not work out. “Presently, Gwadar has no water, decent schools, hospitals, a college for girls, or even a single university, let alone internet facilities; so, could it be a future mega city?”

By the 1990s, interest and a relationship formed with the China Harbour Engineering Corporation began to bear fruit in the following decade. Watching the development of this relationship on Google Earth via the time bar, I saw the region develop as the Gwadar Port Authority CPEC. A free zone, which I assume is a tax-free trade zone, and a China Harbour warehouse sprout out of the area. There is even a park, one of the few green spaces I could find in the region, and a Marines Lounge that has a pool and buffet-style cafeteria.

A bit of misdirection led to The Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) originally managing the area, but the quickly incorporated PSA Gwadar Pte. Ltd. actually fills that role and its name is attached to many of the buildings in the area.

By the early 2010s, the China Overseas Port Holding Company Ltd. (COPHCL) took over port operations thus splitting the roles into the Gwadar International Terminal (GIT) to handle business-related affairs, the Gwadar Marine Services Ltd. (GMS) to provide port services, and the Gwadar Free Zone Company Ltd. (GFZ) to develop facilities for the investment companies in the free-zone area.

Gwadar’s location on the Makran Coast only a short distance from the Strait of Hormuz where a large percentage of the world’s oil is transported has provided China’s Xinjiang Province with a transportation, military, and strategic hub for both countries.

Chinese Naval Base in Gwadar Port, 2019

The Baloch people did not gain anything from the development of the region. In fact, it has become the site of immediate frustration and anger about the opportunities that currently go to Chinese workers and select members of the Pakistani military (government). Loss of fishing grounds and homes of Baloch who lived in the region has led to The Herald magazine referring to the displacement of people as “one of the biggest land scams in Pakistan’s history.”

Other issues include the possibility of the Yuan becoming legal tender within the region; increased Pakistani military presence, especially at the Gwadar Airport (two times the size of London Heathrow), which appears to also serve as a military base; and rumors of a wall going up around the region that will require a special permit to enter. The airport’s progress and the more than 30,000 Chinese nationals living and working in Gwadar are making it the target of terrorist attacks.

From 2004 to 2006, suicide and home-made bombs were used to kill Chinese engineers. In 2010, a rocket attack was staged from a boat off the coast of the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel. On August 11, 2018, a Baloch suicide bomber from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked a busload of Chinese workers. On August 13, 2023 a team of Chinese engineers working in Gwadar Port were attacked by the BLA. Unverified reports state that suicide bombers took the lives of four Chinese engineers and nine Pakistani security troopers. Even the illustrious Zaver Pearl-Continental, which is the establishment of choice for top military officials, Pakistani politicos, Chinese officials, and guests for meetings and events suffered an attack in mid-2019. Hotel employees, staff, a security guard and a navy officered were killed while the BLA suffered three losses.

Unfortunately, that was the sixth terror attack during that month. Others included an improvised explosive device (IED) placed at a bazar on Mall Road that was timed to go off when Frontier Corps were passing by in a vehicle. Attacks have also taken place outside of Baluchistan, which highlights how desperate the Baloch have become to have a say in the use of their lands.

The Pakistan military responded by increasing its presence with Special Security Division (12,000 soldiers) as well as the Pakistan Navy stationing a battalion to safeguard the region. It is rumored that the Chinese government has attempted to negotiate with the various Baloch terrorist groups in the region.

A protest camp was set up outside Islamabad’s National Press Club to highlight enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. 2024 credit Somaiyah Hafeez

Pakistan’s Dirty War

The hardest part about writing a deep dive into Baluchistan is picking what to include and what to exclude. I believe that in describing the challenges that the region faces, I have written a solid overview. Also highlighted are the more extreme actions of Baloch nationals.

For this next section, I want to transition a bit and focus on the Pakistani government, which for most of its existence (74 years) has been a military government. On the other end are the numerous rebellions by the Baloch to gain independence. These rebellions have gained strength and numbers over the decades.

To reiterate, the people of Baluchistan do not have political representation. Jobs and opportunities are limited. At the most, a Baloch may find employment within the military but jobs are far and few. This makes individuals pariahs within their own ranks. Finally, the Pakistan government has proven to be corrupt and accepts bribes, uses familial ties, and offers favors as a normal part of operation.

Switching back to 1948, the year Kalat was absorbed into Pakistan thus completing the full absorption of the region, the brother of the Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, staged the first insurgency against the Pakistan Army. He refused the agreement with Jinnah, as part of the BNL. His previous appointment had been as a governor and a commandant of the military.

Gathering what may or may not have been Afghan support, his insurgency lasted until 1950. That is when the Pakistan Army was unable to come to an agreement and captured his group. Abdul Karim was sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence.

Upon his release in 1955, he launched a political party, Ustaman Gal, in the hopes of creating a republic from what was the government of the Kalat. Attempting a political way to win freedoms resulted in the creation of the National Awami Party (NAP). President Iskander Mirza used political wrangling to suppress the movement.

By 1958, the Khan, in coordination with tribal chieftains, attempted to push back against the government, citing that their ethnic identify was under attack. The minimal support the province had in its development was already apparent at this time.

Baloch Human Rights Organization Protest, 2022

As the Khan gathered support, the Pakistan Army marched into Kalat and arrested the Khan. Sparking another rebellion, Nawab Nauroz Khan Zehri, the Sardar of the Zarakzai tribe in Kalat, and 500 men staged an attack. The result led to the bombing of villages by the Pakistan government of any area suspected of holding the fighters.

Initially escaping the attacks by using the Mir Ghat mountains, by mid-1959, Nauroz Khan and his men surrendered under the understanding that his requests, including the freedom of his men and the reversal of the policies placed by President Mizra, would be honored. Instead, Nauroz and his youngest son were imprisoned whereas others, including another son, were hanged. The end result was a stronger military presence in the region.

The next rebellion (1962) came from the planning and fortitude of Sher (Babu meaning Uncle) Mohammad Marri. Understanding that their attempt needed better planning, he moved toward coordinating various tribes into the Baloch People’s Liberation Front (BPLF). As a force, they attacked convoys, set off bombings, and became violent if their demands were not met.

By 1969, then General Yahya Khan met some of their demands. It was this insurgency that cemented the Baloch identity and language and created cohesion between the various tribes at a point when they were beginning to fight among themselves for power.

The period of 1973–1977 introduced the Baloch movement to a new reality after the creation of Bangladesh (1971). Now under the Presidency of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the newly minted Baluchistan government was disbanded and political parties were banned. Coinciding with various events, Soviet machine guns and ammo were found that were intended to be for Baloch leaders.

Facing fractures within the Baloch government, military organizations begin to form. This, in turn, led to the increased presence of the Pakistan military. During this four-year period, a cat and mouse game took lives leading to a dirty war. Led by General Tikka Khan, otherwise known as the “Butcher of Balochistan,” the conflict involved over 80,000 Pakistan troops facing off against 55,000 Baloch fighters.

With support from the Shah of Iran, who was worried that the Baloch of Pakistan were going to connect with the Baloch currently in Iran, aid was sent in the form of US$200 million. Soon Mirage and F-86 bombers were being employed to bomb villages with Iranian pilots providing assistance.

General Zia-ul-Haq, the new leader of Pakistan following a coup (1977), in one of his first acts agreed to a settlement that led to two and half decades of relative peace.

General Zia-ul-Haq, flanked by senior officers, 1977 Credit White Star archives

Baluchistan’s Political Parties

By the late 1980s to early 1990s, the various Baloch political groups became fractured due to differing goals and ethnic divisions some of which were caused by General Zia-ul-Haq. Native Baloch were concerned that Pashtuns (Afghans) were being favored. This increased after the mass migration of Afghans that made the Baloch feel like they were becoming a minority within their own lands.

It was during this time that new parties formed, including the Balochistan National Party (BNP) formed by Attaullah Mengal (former head of the government and dismissed by Bhutto in 1973), the Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo, and the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP).

“The Baloch nationalist movement is not a single, unified one. The nationalists can be grouped into two categories:

1) The moderates who seek maximum provincial autonomy within Pakistan. They believe in the political process—dialogue and participation in elections—to achieve their demands.

2) The separatists who seek independence from Pakistan. From them, the time Jamshoro for a political process—a dialogue with the government—or taking the parliamentary route is long over. They have put their faith in militant means to achieve their objectives.”

To gain some additional clarity on the current situation, I attempted to reach the Baloch National Movement (BNM) for their perspective. Unfortunately, their Information Security remarked that he is often shy and that my questions required “careful consideration before answering.” Thus, I am going to attempt to create a clear overview of the BNM based on their postings on their website and social media.

Founder of Jamhoori Wattan Party, Shaheed Akbar Khan Bugti (main photo). According to news reports he along with militants died due to a stand off with Pakistan military on August 26th, 2006. Official reports state that death is due to a cave-in. Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (small photo) credit thebnm.org

Originally going by the name of Baloch National Youth Movement (1987) under Ghulam Mohammed Baloch and Lala Munir Baloch. Today the former student group turned democratic political party is led by Chairman Dr. Nassem Bloch and is seemingly based in numerous Western European countries including the Netherlands.

According to an interview published on October 13, 2022, Dr. Naseem Baloch “joined the national movement during this student days and was forced to disappear by the Pakistani Army” after experiencing torture at their hands. Originally playing a “crucial role in organizing BNM in the Diaspora before being elected Chairman” a role he moved into after being the organizer of the BNM Diaspora Committee.

In reference to a question I had in regard to why the Baloch occupation goes largely unnoticed, I referred to the same interview where Dr. Naseem Baloch stated that, “World powers have their interests and their state apparatus and NGOs revolve around their interests. This holds true for international organizations as well considering they are all interconnected and are busy serving themselves.” He continues with, “The world has been a witness to similar genocide in the past and whenever things reach their peak then world powers and the UN become helpless and take notice of the same, our hope continues to rest with the world as Pakistan is an aggressor state and no way can we expect anything from the latter. Things are changing very fast and ugly in Balochistan and our work is to highlight all wrongdoings about Pakistan so that one day the world has to take note of it.”

“Our enemy army has lost the war on battle grounds. They're retreating from their positions; soldiers are deserting on daily basis; we have broken their nerves and morale which is the result of Baloch martyrs’ sacrifices. That is why the rogue army is squashed up at major garrisons.” Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the BNM

One of my questions related to relationships with other political groups. I was able to find this quote from the same interview: “We believe that all those Baloch organizations that are fighting for the independence of Balochistan should be in communication and coordination with each other. Not just that but I believe that there are several common points where we have an understanding with other groups and we can work together in those areas. And in line with this, I have written to the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), which is under the leadership of Brahmdagh Bugti, and received some positive messages from their side. I have also written to the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) which is under the leadership of Mr. Hybyair Marri and I am in communication with them. We hope that all of us can work together towards the independence of Balochistan.”

Another talking point is the assassinations of the founder/former chairman head of the BNM Ghulam Mohammed Baloch, Baloch National Front Secretary General Lala Munir Baloch, and Baloch Republican Party Leader Sher Mohammed Baloch on April 3, 2009. All three were taken from the chamber of the Balochistan Assembly and where found mutilated on April 9 in the town of Murgaap.

In an April 2023 article titled “Commemorative of Martyrs of Murgaap,” the topic of the extra judicial killings (kill and dump) and kidnappings used by the Pakistan Military was touched upon. Secretary General of the BNM Dil Murad Baloch stated that “The Pakistani state had adopted a zero-tolerance policy for BNM and other pro-independence parties. Now it has come to the point that the women and children of Baloch are being harmed. But the state should understand that the Baloch have chosen their path and follow the path shown by Shaheed Ghulam Muhammed. That day is pretty close when Baloch will see the day of Independence.”

The BNM uses street teams in major cities in both the Netherlands and United States to pass out brochures titled “Citizens of the World” to educate people on the current situation within Pakistan. What has been the results of this grassroots approach?

“Currently the BNM uses a mix of protests, street teams, rallies, and speaking engagements stationed at locations such as United Nations Human Rights Council Session and in high-profile locations in major locations such as the New York and the Netherlands to bring attention to their forced occupation (Citizens of the World handout). Not long ago the Fifth Balochistan International Conference brought together geopolitical experts as well as the BNM’s heads of staff to give speeches and show independent films related to their fight.”

Will this be enough, especially when it is not headline news? A question I wished that I could have asked.

Mother of two, gold medallist, and student turned suicide bomber, Shari Baloch of the BLA, Majeed Brigade. April, 2022. Credit: India TV News

Conclusion

In May 2023, Dr. Nassem Baloch published an article titled “Balochistan Is Heading for Independence” and in it he states, “The Baloch nation has reached a breaking point and can no longer endure the shackles of slavery and colonization. The momentum towards freedom is palpable, leaving no room for doubt.”

What would independence look like for Balochistan? Would other countries recognize its existence or could it end up in a state similar to Kosovo? Would China negotiate with a democratically elected Baloch government for the Gwadar port or would they (China) push for them to honor the agreement made by the Pakistan government? Would the Baloch be able to protect their borders from terrorist groups such as Daseh Daesh who also use the fluid land borders to transport narcotics? Alternatively, would the BLA based in Afghanistan and has been labeled a terrorist organization be brought up on charges? Vice versa, would members of the Pakistan government be brought up on war crimes?

Will countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom swoop in offering aid, money, and weapons in exchange for access to their ports? In desperation would they accept hoping that it is temporary?

Can organizations like the International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons spearhead and help with the many Baloch who have lost family and friends? According to BNM’s “Paank Human Rights August 2024 Report,” strife has deepened with an additional 14 extrajudicial killings and 44 forced disappearances in 2024 whose remains are often found on the side of roads or after shootouts with the military.

I often hear the comment, “Pakistan is a failed state” and that “it will inevitably fail.” If it was to transpire, what exactly would that look like? If not, can Baluchistan truly find its own independence by any other means?

Baloch insurgents seize initiative, demand prisoner exchange deal with Pakistan government, 2022

A man (2L) mourns the death of his father, who died in a BLA attack, at a hospital in Quetta on August 26, 2024. Credit Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Three men who where extrajudicial killed by the Pakistan military. The bodies were withhold from their families and according to human rights activist Ghaffar Baloch, they were then mutilated. April 2023

Emancipatory Research

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