The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has once again launched a big attack in the most disturbed province of Pakistan. Baloch freedom fighters hijacked the Jafar Express train and took around 200 passengers hostage (in some reports this number is said to be 500). Militants say that many hostage are from Pakistani Army personnel, government employees or from Punjabi province. Till the time it was written, the Pakistani administration had launched a rescue operation, but did not get any special success.
The Pakistani army had to retreat due to tremendous resistance to Baloch rebels. The rebels have demanded the release of the Baloch political prisoners lodged in Pakistani jails and warned that if their demands are not met, they can kill the hostages.
Given the long -standing struggle in Balochistan and the vandalism of the Pakistan Army, it would not be surprising if Baloch fighters reach their threats. These fighters are fighting regardless of their lives. Even though this conflict may end soon, the freedom struggle of Balochistan does not seem to end. On the contrary, its scope and influence are constantly increasing.
Baloch rebellion is changing rapidly
Baloch fighters are strengthening their strategy. Those attacks are doing more organized manner, their coordination is now stronger, and their operations have become more deadly than before. Earlier, trains like Jafar Express have been attacked, but then only tracks were flown or bullets were fired on the train. This time the entire train was hijacked. This suggests that Baloch rebels have become more powerful and organized.
On the other hand, the Pakistani army is still adopting a 20th -century strategy. Rough oppression, sneaking into homes, insulting women, beating children and elderly, kidnapping the youth and torturing them and throwing their corpses. Elections in Balochistan are also held at the will of the army, and the army forcibly forcefully sit in power to its loyal leaders. Instead of protecting the interests of the Baloch public, these leaders follow the gestures of the Pakistani Army and fill their pockets.
The more suppression, the more conflict
The more suppression of the Pakistani army, the more Baloch is getting ready for the fight. The earlier rebellion was limited to some areas and few tribes, but now it is led by educated middle class Baloch people, who themselves are fighting at the ground level. For example, Dr. Allah is leading the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), who was a doctor by profession and also a gold medalist. Similarly, BLA is now in the hands of Bashir Jeb Baloch instead of Marri Nawabs.
Now this struggle was not limited to some districts but has spread to almost every part of Balochistan. Rebels are controlling roads and highways, attacking small cities, destroying government buildings and then disappearing into the mountains.
The growing role of Baloch women
The most surprising thing is that now women have also started playing an active role in this fight. In Baloch society, women’s participation in public life was very low, but now leaders like Dr. Meharang Baloch have emerged, which can gather thousands of people at a behest.
Most of these women are sisters or daughters of those who have been forced to disappear or killed by the Pakistani Army. Now these women are not only running political movements, but are also participating in suicide attacks.
Baloch is united
This rebellion of Balochistan has become the longest and strong rebellion ever since forcibly included in Pakistan in 1948. It began at the time of removing the Taliban by the US Army in Afghanistan in 2001 and intensified after the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006. Baloch rebellion has become more aggressive since the Taliban again captured Afghanistan in 2021. Now organizations like BLA, BLF and Baloch Republican Guard have been united under Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS).
By combining their resources and moving beyond tribal identities, Baloch militants have now started creating an image of a national freedom struggle. At the political level, people from every corner of Balochistan were seen moving towards a national movement in the recently held Baloch National Gathering. This was something that continued to be released from the Baloch nationalists earlier, and by taking advantage of this, Pakistan adopted the strategy of ‘divide and rule’ so that Baloch aspirations could be crushed. Now this struggle is becoming a fight for a national freedom by coming out of the boundaries of tribes.
What options are left with Pakistan?
The Baloch freedom struggle is intensifying, and Pakistan has very few options left to stop it. After the train hijack incident, there is a demand especially from the Punjabi community that the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army should take action against Baloch with full force. Perhaps this is the last path left that Pakistan’s army can try to regain control again.
If Pakistan performs military operation with full force- destroys cities and villages, Baloch brutally kills people and creates an atmosphere of fear and tries to impose its power again- this can be the only way.
Politically, the Pakistan Army has no strong base left. He openly rigged the elections and imposed a government of his choice on Baloch. Financially, the condition of Pakistan is not such that it can attract Baloch in some way. Projects like CPEC with China are not a means of development for Baloch, but by looting their land and resources, there are tricks to benefit the Punjabi class. At the same time, Pakistan’s propaganda system has also failed, because Baloch people do not believe in its words.
Now when the pressure on the army is increasing, the Pakistan Army can take military action on a large scale. But even this is not going to solve the problem, because Baloch rebels will already be ready for such a response. It is possible that the train hijack is also a conspiracy, so that the Pakistan Army will be provoked for the attack. If this happens, the rebels will go to the shelter of Afghanistan and Iran and will attack again at the right time.
Here, Pakistan’s army is getting entangled on many fronts. She is trying to confront India by re -promoting terrorism in Kashmir, so that it will have to keep a strong army deployed on its eastern border. Islamic extremism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is already increasing the tension of the army.
On the other hand, security agencies are busy handling Imran Khan in jail, maintaining their grip in Islamabad, running the judiciary according to their own, forcibly passing the law in Parliament, keeping an eye on the media and suppressing every voice of protest, so that Shahbaz Sharif’s puppet government can be saved.
In the midst of all this, a new controversy is also arising in Sindh. Punjab, Cholistan is beating Sindh water to make the desert green, which can cause a large area of ​​Sindh. Due to this, there is tremendous anger in Sindhi public.
In such a situation, if the Pakistan Army causes havoc with guns, helicopters, drones, tanks and fighter jets in Balochistan, it will increase the hatred of Baloch against Pakistan and Punjab. More youth will join the army of rebels.
Now the situation has become such that Pakistan’s Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s claim that even a SHO can handle the Baloch rebellion, it has been proved completely wrong. Now the question is arising that can a core commander also extinguish this fire?
(Sushant Sarin is a senior fellow in the Observer Research Foundation. The views expressed in this article are personal to the author.)