In the rugged, sprawling landscape of Balochistan, where the desert winds whisper tales of ancient strife and unhealed wounds, a storm has erupted once more. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has unleashed a deadly barrage of attacks across Pakistan’s southwest, leaving at least 70 dead, among them 14 soldiers. These coordinated assaults—targeting police stations, railway lines, and highways—aren’t just acts of violence but declarations of defiance, a vehement rejection of the status quo imposed by distant powers and the puppeteers pulling the strings from behind opaque curtains.
BLA commander’s warning to Pak🇵🇰
Baloch Liberation Army issues another warning to China & Pakistan: “Withdraw from #Balochistan if you don’t want to die”.#PakistanArmy #Balochistan #oprationherof @Natsecjeff @_phoenix_fire @Dukhtar_B @bahot_baluch @AdityaRajKaul @sundasskhan pic.twitter.com/aIQTcX0bIp
— KashmirFact (@Kashmir_Fact) August 27, 2024
The most chilling of these attacks unfolded on a lonely stretch of highway. Here, BLA militants seized control, lining up their victims—23 of them, mostly laborers from Punjab—and executed them in cold blood. “Execution-style,” they called it, a brutal display meant not only to instill fear but to make a statement: We are here, and we are fighting back. The province’s chief minister could only watch in horror, his words helpless against the stark finality of gunfire.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stepping into the fray, pointed fingers at larger geopolitical games at play. According to him, the separatists’ attacks aim to derail the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—a massive infrastructure project designed to pull Balochistan into Beijing’s orbit, a cornerstone of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. But for the BLA, and many Balochs, this isn’t progress; it’s another form of colonization. Sharif’s vow of retaliation, coinciding with a visit from a top Chinese general, rings both of resolve and desperation—a reminder that in this complex chess game, every move is fraught with peril.
China’s investment in the region is substantial, stretching its economic tentacles from the dusty villages of Balochistan to the far reaches of Africa and Europe. Yet, beneath this veneer of development and progress, lies a stark contradiction. The Baloch people, an ethnic group spread across the arid expanse of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, have long seen themselves as pawns in a game that offers them little in return. Their lands, rich in natural resources like gold, silver, and copper, have been exploited for decades, leaving them impoverished while others reap the benefits.
Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on fire against the Pakistan military across Balochistan.
Report says alteat 60+ Pak military soldiers & police have been killed & an Important strategic bridge used by Pak Army & China in Balochistan blown up by Baloch rebels in the last night… pic.twitter.com/eTor2GG75M
— Suyyash (@suyyashshukla) August 27, 2024
The Baloch, organized more by tribal affiliations than any sense of national loyalty, have been fighting for autonomy, if not outright independence, for years. But their cries for freedom have been met with iron-fisted responses. Thousands have vanished, their names added to a grim ledger of the missing, while those who remain live under a cloud of suspicion and fear. Amnesty International’s reports of over 10,000 disappeared Balochs since 2011 highlight the brutal measures employed to maintain control—a stark testament to the price of dissent in this harsh landscape.
Enter the BLA, the most formidable of the Baloch militant groups, whose insurgency against the Pakistani state has raged for decades. For them, CPEC isn’t just an economic project—it’s an invasion. Their attacks, particularly those targeting Chinese interests, are driven by a belief that these developments strip the Balochs of their land, their resources, and their future. It’s not just about money or power; it’s about identity, about a fight against erasure.
The timing of Monday’s attacks—on the anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti’s death, a revered figure in the Baloch nationalist movement—adds a layer of symbolism to the violence. It’s a reminder of the long-standing grievances, the unhealed wounds, and the unyielding desire for autonomy. Analysts are rightfully alarmed. The scale, the coordination, the precision—these aren’t the actions of a ragtag group of insurgents but of a movement that has honed its tactics, learned from its failures, and is now striking back with renewed vigor.
Aftermath of BLA attacks on Pakistani forces HQ in #Bela, #Balochistan
Baloch Liberation Army Majeed Brigade launched the most deadly attack by ramming two vehicles full of explosives into the HQ, followed by 5 heavily armed “self-sacrificers.”#OperationHerofBLA pic.twitter.com/r157l8gFH1
— ZirNoor Baloch (@ZirNoor_Baluch) August 28, 2024
Kiyya Baloch, a seasoned journalist, has seen it all unfold over the years. He points out that the state’s heavy-handed tactics in Balochistan have only fueled the fire. “The use of force isn’t working,” he says. “It’s only making things worse.” And he’s not wrong. The violence threatens to engulf not just the militants but also the peaceful protest movements that have been gaining ground in Balochistan, advocating for rights, recognition, and justice.
Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch, an activist from Gwadar, echoes this fear. The state’s response, he worries, won’t differentiate between the violent and the non-violent. “We’re all at risk,” he laments, knowing that in the fog of conflict, nuance often gets lost.
Major Points
- The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has launched a series of coordinated attacks across Pakistan’s southwest, resulting in at least 70 deaths, including 14 soldiers, as part of a broader insurgency against perceived exploitation and control.
- One of the deadliest assaults saw BLA militants executing 23 laborers from Punjab in an “execution-style” attack on a remote highway, showcasing the group’s intent to instill fear and assert their presence in the region.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attributed the violence to attempts to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a vital part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which many Balochs view as another form of exploitation rather than development.
- The BLA’s actions reflect deep-rooted grievances over the exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources and the marginalization of its people, further exacerbated by the state’s heavy-handed tactics and reported human rights abuses, including the disappearance of over 10,000 Balochs.
- With both militant actions and peaceful protests gaining momentum, the situation in Balochistan remains highly volatile, raising concerns over potential escalation and the impact on both violent and non-violent movements within the region.
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
