Territorial And Extra Territorial Factors Influencing Insurgency In Balochistan

An armed uprising with separatist tendencies against the federal government in Pakistan is sweeping through the province of Balochistan.The separatist movement here has strategic impacts felt in Kabul,Tehran,Delhi,Central Asia and Washington.It has economic impacts felt in Tehran,Dubai,Beijing,and Central Asia.Pakistan is facing one of the most serious challenges to its national integration in the form of this Baloch nationalist movement.It has impact on the daily lives of people all over Pakistan.Most experts are of the opinion that,this separatist movement in Balochistan could jeopardize the very existence of Pakistan.This would forever change the economic,political,and strategic landscape of South Asia.Pro-independence nationalist tendencies in Balochistan province holds far reaching implications for the state and society of Pakistan as it could lead other ethnic nationalist groups to adopt the same line of action.Thus,the development of Baloch nationalist movement poses serious challenges to Pakistan’s national integration and could disturb the national security landscape.Alexander Atarodi,(senior research fellow and expert on South Asian affairs at the Swedish defense agency FOI)claims that the Baloch nationalist movement is one of the biggest threats to Pakistan’s national security.He further explains that,“the aspirations of various ethnic groups and their efforts to assert their sub-national identities pose a potent threat to the Pakistani state,and Baloch nationalism poses the biggest threat.Given that Pakistan is already suffering from decades of political and economic mismanagement,lawlessness,corruption and ethnic division,the current Baloch insurgency could worsen the already unstable situation in the country”.Balochistan province is rich in natural resources but it is still considered as the poorest and least developed province.The poor political,economic and social development has increased the sense of deprivation in province.This situation has led the Baloch people to demand for autonomy or even for independence and separation from Pakistan.Most of the rebel groups get assisted by the external powers to run their organization to reach their agenda.As for as the goal of Insurgency in Balochistan is concerned,there are several groups having different agendas.Since common goals from Baloch insurgency are,having an independent state,greater autonomy,and to bring their entire ethnicity under one umbrella,which has people in parts of Iran,Afghanistan and Pakistan.Pakistan has passed through four major insurgencies from its south-west province Balochistan.Since the independence of Pakistan,why state is getting in troubles,thus scholars explain it as,having Punjabi supremacy,matter of power between federal and Baloch people,resource exploitation,discrimination in developmental projects,result of using force against Baloch,and opportunity based motivations.To understand how influencers influence insurgency in Balochistan,it is necessary to understand why and what are the reasons which bring problems or confusions in the mind of Baloch nation.Then answer would be the elected governments and military regimes which have never concentrated on the real grievances of Baloch people.This process of discrimination and unequal distribution of wealth creates fault lines and pushes people to the violence.Through this phenomenon nationalists and external hands seek opportunity and exploit them.Since,development in general reduces such violence but in the case of Baloch people developing of Gwadar deep sea port is considered on ground as a trap to control their resources.All this issue comes just because of the mistrust between Islamabad and Baloch people.There needs much effort to remove this mindset.Getting benefit of this situation foreign powers exploit the locals against the state.Thus,it is necessary for both Federal and Provincial government to block the holes of weaknesses for the external powers and build trust through soft measures with sincerity to overcome this issue.This research consists of five chapters: chapter one covers introductory part of topic and analysis the historical background of insurgency in Pakistan by Baloch Insurgents.It gives the idea and the base that how this phenomenon and from where it started,the consequences and effects that Pakistan is bearing.It is no doubt that Baloch insurgency could not have survived without any foreign hand,hence the problem is briefed in this chapter.Insurgency could have stopped if governments whether elected or military regimes have understood the real problems of Baloch people.In the second chapter role of regional and extra regional players have been briefed by analyzing the evolution of the insurgency in the province.Baloch have the history of being steadfast on their commitment and honor maters to them.Current Baloch ethnicity is in three different parts of the geography.Majority of Baloch ethnics live in Pakistani province Balochistan,most of them have their territory in the eastern part of Iran,and most of Baloch live in Afghanistan.Having been discriminated in Pakistani part of Baloch have been exploited by nationalists and extra regional players flame the situation in Pakistan.In this chapter,Indian role is explained with some primary and secondary sources.Similarly,Afghanistan,United States and Iran’s role have been explained.Chapter third explains the mood of insurgents who have been prime threat to the state from the independence of Pakistan.The reason for having anti state spirit for decades have various reasons,in this chapter it is explained that most the Balochs were not willing to become part of Pakistan but the elderly leaders of that time had attachment to the Islam,from this perspective Baloch were included in the newly build Islamic Republic.Though,Balochistan is rich in resources,thus insurgents claim that state exploiting their resources and the exploitation their resources is increasing the anger among the insurgent groups.Also,it explains the impacts of the uprising caused by Baloch insurgency.No doubt external powers have achieved what they were investing in Baloch rebels.The insurgency has left much impacts on Pakistani security situation,decrease in foreign direct investment as having less secure environment.Since,China is investing in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is positive sign from the perspective of Chinese idea as peace through development.Though,this insurgency has left much more impacts not only domestically but regionally,it has affected the relations between Pakistan and different nations.Chapter four gives the conclusion of the topic as no use of force and soft measures of state can overcome the tensed environment.Political dialogue would be the only solution to reduce the flame of insurgency.In the end,this research provides recommendation for the government and the state that how this problem can be controlled.