In Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province, a series of assaults by separatist fighters targeting law enforcement facilities, transportation infrastructure, and main roads resulted in the deaths of over 60 individuals, according to authorities on Monday. The attacks, which were met with counter-measures by Pakistan forces, represent the most extensive offensive by ethnic rebels in recent years.
Driving the news
Driving the news
- The assaults, which included dragging people off vehicles and shooting them, attacking a police station, and blowing up a railway bridge, were more brazen and ruthless than the typical militant attacks targeting security personnel or installations.
- In the Rarashim area of Musakhel district, militants blocked the highway and forced 23 passengers to disembark from their vehicles, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Ayub Khoso. The identity of the group was not disclosed.
- Khoso said, “The passengers were told to get down from buses and shot dead after being identified from their national ID cards.”
- He further added, “Most of those killed belonged to southern Punjab and some are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggesting they were killed because of their ethnic background.”
- Before escaping into the nearby mountains, the armed militants set fire to approximately 12 vehicles on the highway, as reported by Khoso.
- The police arrived at the scene and transported the bodies to the hospital for further investigation.
- Militant group the
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility in a statement emailed to journalists that claimed many more attacks, including one on a major paramilitary base - Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, is home to the ethnic Baluch minority, who claim discrimination and exploitation by the central government, fueling a separatist insurgency demanding independence.
- The region has long been plagued by violence and insurgency, but recent events have brought it to the forefront of international attention.
- Protests, human rights abuses, and terrorist attacks have created a volatile situation, particularly in Gwadar, a key city for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This crisis is intricately linked to China’s economic projects and the geopolitical shifts following the
Taliban ‘s takeover of Afghanistan.
Neither dead nor alive
- The Baloch people have faced significant human rights abuses, including kidnappings, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture. The situation has deteriorated to the point where the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has called for international intervention, urging the United Nations and Amnesty International to take notice of the “gravest violations against the Baloch people by Pakistani colonial authorities”.
- “It’s a complete war-like situation,” the BYC said, highlighting the severity of the crackdown.
- The unrest has disrupted daily life across Balochistan. Roadblocks, strikes, and sit-ins have been organized in response to the violence. The BYC has emphasized the community’s resilience and determination to continue the protests until their demands are met.
- The continued terror attacks, protests in Gwadar underscore the deepening crisis in Balochistan, where local grievances against Pakistani authorities and Chinese investments have fueled longstanding conflict.
What’s they are saying
- The BYC urged the international community to intervene, calling on the United Nations and Amnesty International to take notice of the human rights violations. “Standing idly by will further strengthen the oppressor to inflict more pain and cause more destruction,” the BYC warned.
- Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch vowed to continue the protests despite the violence, emphasizing the community’s resilience. “Pakistan wants to scare us with guns, conscience-selling soldiers, and death squads. But I am sure that Baloch mothers have given birth to children who will stand in front of bullets,” she said.
Why it matters
- Balochistan, and specifically Gwadar, is a crucial part of the
CPEC , a major component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. - The port of Gwadar is strategically important for trade and energy routes.
- However, Chinese investments have been a source of contention, with local groups accusing the Pakistani government and Chinese companies of exploiting Balochistan’s resources without fair compensation.
- China’s deep economic involvement in Balochistan has placed it at the center of the conflict.
- Agreements indicate that 91% of the revenues from the
Gwadar port will go to China for the next 40 years, according to a Dawn report. This economic dominance has fueled resentment among the Baloch people, who feel marginalized and deprived of their rightful share of development. - The port provides Pakistan with leverage over India, as it is located far from Indian reach compared to Pakistan’s other ports.
Gwadar is yet to become Dubai
- Gwadar, a small fishing town near the Iranian border, approximately 500 kilometers from Karachi, was selected to link the corridor to the global shipping network, complementing the existing port of Karachi.
- The recently constructed deep-sea port in Gwadar, finished in 2007 and transferred to a Chinese operating company in 2013, was intended to be the centerpiece of the CPEC.
- However, Gwadar has only seen a relatively small amount of traffic compared to larger ports. In its most active year so far, the port only recorded the arrival of 22 vessels, a DW report said.
- Moreover, Gwadar has been unsuccessful in drawing any consistent deep-sea shipping routes to its facilities.
- This means Gwadar’s port facilities are currently underutilized, resulting in minimal cargo processing that could potentially generate revenue for both Pakistan and the Chinese company managing the port. The stark difference in capacity is evident when comparing Gwadar to Karachi.
- The port’s infrastructure is limited, with only three berths available for loading and unloading, capable of handling a mere 137,000 standard 20-foot shipping containers annually.
- In contrast, Karachi boasts 33 berths, allowing it to process the equivalent of 4.2 million 20-foot containers per year.
- This significant disparity in capacity highlights the challenges Gwadar faces in becoming a major player in the region’s maritime trade.
- “Back then, investors thought Gwadar would become the next Dubai,” Azeem Khalid, who studies Chinese investments in Pakistan, told DW.
Taliban takeover and geopolitical shifts
- Meanwhile, the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has altered the geopolitical landscape in the region.
- Balochistan shares a border with Afghanistan, and the power shift has influenced local dynamics. The instability in Afghanistan has provided a haven for insurgent groups, exacerbating the security challenges in Balochistan.
- Baloch separatist groups, emboldened by the changes in Afghanistan, have intensified their activities. The Pakistani government has struggled to maintain control, and the influx of militants from Afghanistan has added to the chaos. This has further strained Pakistan’s resources and complicated efforts to stabilize the region.
- There has been a significant surge in terror attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Zoom in
- The terror attacks are have started straining the strategic relationship between Pakistan and China.
- Since 2017, at least Chinese nationals have lost their lives in Pakistan.
- After the deadly suicide bombing on March 26 that claimed the lives of five Chinese nationals, Beijing has been uncharacteristically vocal in its insistence that Pakistan guarantee the protection of Chinese citizens within its borders, a Voice of America report said.
- Regional security affairs analyst Ahmed Rashid told VOA: “We have never seen a Chinese reaction like this one.”
- Now, “a dedicated military division and special provincial police units provide security to Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan. Local intelligence units keep a record of where the foreigners live and work. Chinese nationals usually move between cities in bullet-proof vehicles with a police escort. One percent of the cost of any project involving Chinese workers is budgeted for security,” the VOA report said.
- “All the shops and roadside restaurants close along the five- to six-kilometer-long distance when the Chinese travel from the port to the airport. This happens two to three times a week,” Naeem Ghafoor, a local activist, told VOA.
What’s next
- According to a report in the Diplomat, Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, said that the “deteriorating security situation in Pakistan is mainly shaking the confidence of Chinese investors in Pakistan.”
- PM Shehbaz Sharif has visited China and promised to “ensure the safety of Chinese personnel in Pakistan.
- Moreover, the launch of operation “Azm-e-Istehkam”, which builds upon previous counterterrorism efforts, showcases Islamabad’s determination to combat terrorism using all available resources, the Diplomat report said.
- But the underlying reasons for Baloch protests lie in Pakistan government’s oppressive measures and its refusal to grant basic democratic rights to the people.
- “The authorities cannot control the growing public discontent by resorting to brute force,” author Zahid Hussain said in his opinion piece in Dawn.
- “One has to listen to what Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch leaders are saying. They just want the state to stop enforced disappearances and give the Baloch people their democratic political rights. They also want the Baloch people to get their due share of development and local economic resources. If these saner voices are suppressed, there will be no hope for the future,” Hussain wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)
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