Abstract balochistans prospects for peace and stability rely on both internal and external factors, none of which seem to be under control. The balochistan conflict is a guerrilla war waged by baloch nationalists against the governments of pakistan and iran in the balochistan region, which covers balochistan province in southwestern pakistan, sistan and baluchestan province in southeastern iran, and the balochistan region of southern afghanistan. The new government of imran khan is repressing opposition voices and yielding to parties propagating sectarianism. Pakistans balochistan insurgency requires political, not military, solution. Moreover, pakistani balochistan is also a haven for irans baloch sunni islamist rebels who conduct attacks in irans sistan and baluchestan province. Baloch want greater autonomy, increased royalties from natural resources and. Nearly 70% of the total balochi population lives in balochistan and other provinces of pakistan, whereas about 20% inhabits the southeastern iran or what is irani balochistan.
What is pakistans balochistan insurgency and why is india. Balochistan for the last few hundred years, there was rarely any organised violence against them in pakistan. Abstract simmering tension in balochistan is the cause of multiple factors. Balochistan carnegie endowment for international peace. About 60 percent of the baloch live in balochistan, a western province in the islamic republic of pakistan. Balochistan conflict 22 mehrgarh 27 references article sources and contributors 31 image sources, licenses and contributors 32 article licenses license 33. Conflict in balochistan 2 hrcp expressed grave concern over the fact that militants had placed land mines along roads, and appealed to all sides in the conflict to give up violence in favour of a negotiated resolution to the complex issues of the province. Internal and external factors in balochistan conflict abdul rauf iqbal. The british also encouraged the hazara movement into balochistan from afghanistan. A roundtable on conflict in balochistan pak institute. Although, geographically this is the largest province, demographically it is the smallest and the most underdeveloped federating unit. There is no minimum requirement, however in some cases it. Balochistan conflict towards a lasting peace march 2007.
Pakistan the balochistan conundrum download ebook pdf. Despite several pledges to improve the law and order situation and put an end to human rights abuses in balochistan, pakistans government has. Mehrgarh, history of balochistan, pakistan, balochistan conflict. It is pakistans largest province by area constituting 44% of pakistans total land mass. Background of the conflict balochistan is the largest pakistani province in terms of territory, but the smallest in terms of population. Notable measures included the raising of provincial status within a federal structure defined by the 1973 constitution. Balochistan situated balochistan is situated in the southwest of pakistan and covers an area of 347,190 square kilometers 4,050 sq miles. The division of balochistan into western and eastern halves temporary lapsed during the 18th century as first the safavid and then the mughal empire, and finally the brief empire of nader shah. The state is now divided between pakistan and iran.
An analysis of the issue and conflict with state 57 rehana saeed hashmi baloch ethnicity. Tensions between the government and its baloch opposition have grown because of islamabads heavyhanded armed response to baloch militancy and its refusal to negotiate demands for political and economic autonomy. These conflicts were about the one unit policy and military bases in baluchistan. The balochistan liberation army also baloch liberation army or balochistan liberation army bla is a terrorist group based in balochistan, a mountainous region within southern iran and pakistan. Since then the baloch leadership has made no claims over pashtun areas. In this edition of in depth, we talk about the baloch conflict and the hardships the people of balochistan have suffered in the hands of the pakistani establishment. Balochistan is pakistans largest province in terms of territory and also its least populated. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online.
This paper will address the unstable politics and ethnicity, resource and development issues, human rights, islamic extremism and terrorist groups, foreign support, and education as the main root. With the federal government refusing to compromise with its baloch opponents, intent on a military solution to a. In 197379 president bhutto dismissed the provincial government of. The roots of the conflict, like indias kashmir issue, go back to the countrys independence. It comprises the pakistani province of balochistan, the iranian province of sistan and baluchestan, and the southern areas of afghanistan, including nimruz, helmand and kandahar provinces. Root causes of conflict in baluchistan, pakistan beyond intractability. Akbar bugti repeatedly quarrelled with islamabad over provincial autonomy.
The conflict in balochistan may further destabilize the fragile region. Click download or read online button to get pakistan the balochistan conundrum book now. The province is bordered by afghanistan to the north and north west, iran to the southwest, punjab and. Balochistan has not been a stranger to separatist insurgencies since pakistan gained independence from the british in 1947. President pervez musharraf and the military are responsible for the worsening of the conflict in balochistan.
In addition to the ethnic baloch people, the province also has a sizable ethnic pashtun population. Root causes of conflict in baluchistan, pakistan beyond. Ifespk factsheet local government balochistan d15 201211 en page 3 of 4 the number of nonmuslims is fixed by the provincial government based on the population of nonmuslims in the local area. Disturbed by reports of renewed armed conflict in parts of balochistan that began to pour in during december 2005, an hrcp factfinding team visited the troubled areas nearkohlu and in january, as fighting expanded. As the province now gains geopolitical importance, more. Balochistan house is said to be an affiliate of the. Download pdf balochistan liberation army free online. In 2005, a conflict erupted in the province of balochistan, the largest and least populated of pakistans four provinces, straddling three countriespakistan, iran, and afghanistan. Balochistan with heavy mineral potential is the largest 43% of. You can support us by purchasing something through our amazonurl, thanks. Education for all plan balochistan 6 executive summary balochistan is the largest province by area of pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total area of pakistan.
The second largest ethnic group in balochistan is that of the pashtuns, which has concentration in the northern part of the province and along its border with afghanistan. The conflict between the province and the federation of pakistan has been amongst the persistent stateprovince contradictions in recent history of counties aasim, 2007. It also regretted the death of personnel of the paramilitary forces. Resolving the longstanding baloch conflict on its own terms is central. Balochistan is rich in uranium, copper, coal, gold, silver, platinum and aluminium and provides more than onethird of pakistans natural gas. Balochistan has witnessed regular insurgencies since pakistan annexed the autonomous baloch state of kalat in 1948. The state versus the nation today, balochistan is slowly but surely descending into anarchy. Pdf understanding the insurgency in balochistan researchgate. Balochistan conflict papers balochistan national party.
Nawab nauroz khan fought a lone battle as the rest of balochistan did not support the uprising. This is perhaps best described in a recent video testimony by shafiq mengal, once a small player in the conflict but now one. Balochistan is pakistans largest, but least developed province, which is home to over million people, mostly balochis. Rich in natural resources like natural gas, oil, coal, copper. The forgotten conflict in balochistan crisis group. The insurgency in balochistan is a low intensity insurgency waged by baloch nationalists against the governments of pakistan and iran in the balochistan region, which covers the balochistan province in southwestern pakistan, sistan and baluchestan province in southeastern iran, and the balochistan region of southern afghanistan. Effects and implications on federation of pakistan umbreen javaid. India claims some northern areas hatched while other areas are controlled by india but challenged by other countries. The province is in turmoil and dissenter elements are targeting non baloch population.
The participant speakers included political leaders from balochistan, representatives of civil society and development organizations, media persons and scholars. Abstract one of the most serious threats to the federation of pakistan is the rising insurgency in balochistan. Among them one is the baloch ethnicity, based on its language, culture and territory. Balochistan is experiencing some of the same cultural and resourcedriven motivations to separate that east pakistan experienced, accented by the same heavyhanded pakistani military mindset that fueled the 1971 crisis. In this excerpt from our watch list 2019 for european policymakers, crisis group urges the eu to help pakistan abide by its international commitments and keep supporting democratic governance. Some balochs are demanding autonomy and some are raising slogans of independence. Though rich in natural resources like natural gas, oil, coal, copper, sulphur, fluoride and gold, it is the most underdeveloped and poor region in pakistan. History of balochistan download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Balochistan is pakistans largest province by landmass, but smallest by population. Balochistans areas along the border with afghanistan and iran are also where islamist militants affiliated with lashkarejhangvi have on numerous occasions attacked shiite gatherings. Post 911 balochistan in peace conflict spectrum and. Overall, it contains nearly 20% of the countrys mineral and energy resources. In 2005, a conflict erupted in the province of balochistan, the largest and least.
According to the 1998 census, the ethnic makeup of the province includes 55 percent baloch and 29 percent pashtun tribes. It is a bub bling cauldron of ethnic, sectarian, secessionist and militant violence, threatening to boil over at any time. The complicity of politicians, government officials, and. The population density of balochistan is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of. The province of balochistan is riven by multiple cyclical conflicts and is the most fragile in pakistan. Balochistan liberation front mapping militant organizations. The insurgency in balochistan is a guerrilla war waged by baloch nationalists against the governments of pakistan and iran in the balochistan region, which covers balochistan province in southwestern pakistan, sistan and baluchestan province in southeastern iran, and the balochistan region of southern afghanistan. Forgotten war, forsaken people vivekananda international. Continued failure to address sectarian violence will only exacerbate the general breakdown in law and order in balochistan. The organization is a participant in the balochistan conflict and strives to establish an independent state of balochistan, free of pakistani and.
Five times since independence of pakistan, balochistan has caught with. Towards a lasting peace senator sanaullah baloch 1 2. The conflict in the baluchistan province is an ongoing conflict between the inhabitants of the baluchistan province and the government of pakistan. Pak institute for peace studies conducted a roundtable on conflict in balochistan on 4th february 2011 in islamabad. Post 911 balochistan in peace conflict spectrum and international dimensions dr.
Balochislamabad conflict started during the efforts of developing. The balochistan liberation front blf, also known as the baloch liberation front, is an ethnicseparatist political front and militant organization that is currently fighting against the pakistani government for an independent balochi state. Balochistan conflict abdul rauf iqbal abstract five times since independence of pakistan, balochistan has caught with insurgency by nationalist forces. Introduction balochistan is a province straddling pakistan. A critical appraisal article pdf available in south asia journal of south asian studies 321. Pakistans balochistan insurgency requires political, not. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
India claims all of jammu and kashmir red areas, while it controls only the southern part of it cf. Add a oneline explanation of what this file represents. Apfile so where is balochistans decadelong insurgency headed. The worsening conflict in balochistan crisis group. Economically, despite rich mineral and gas deposits, it remains poverty stricken.
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