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Balochistan fuels Pakistan’s lights, yet Baloch children study in the dark.
In a recent development, Baloch nationalist leaders have declared independence from Pakistan, citing decades of violence, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations in the region. Prominent Baloch activist and writer Mir Yar Baloch said that people across Pakistan-occupied Balochistan have taken to the streets, voicing their demand for independence with mass protests and declaring that “Balochistan is not Pakistan.” Balochistan separatists have urged India and the United Nations to recognise it as a separate nation, and also requested the Indian government to allow the opening of a Baloch embassy in New Delhi. They have called on the United Nations to send peacekeeping forces to Balochistan, while asking the Pakistani army to withdraw from the region.
The historical roots of political discontent in Balochistan can be traced to the colonial ambitions of the British Empire. In the 19th century, the British sought to create a buffer zone to protect their Indian holdings from perceived threats in Central Asia. This led to direct intervention in the region, culminating in the subjugation of local leaders such as Mehrab Khan of Kalat in 1839. His death in battle and the subsequent annexation of Kalat as a protectorate marked the beginning of sustained colonial interference that altered the traditional political hierarchy and local governance structures.
After Pakistan’s creation, Balochistan’s political trajectory was marked by early conflict. The Khanate of Kalat initially declared independence but was forcibly integrated into Pakistan in March 1948, an act widely viewed by Baloch nationalists as illegitimate, triggering the first of five major insurgencies. A major flashpoint followed the imposition of the One Unit Policy in 1955, which merged Pakistan’s western provinces into a single administrative entity; the policy was deeply unpopular in Balochistan, as it aimed to to erase provincial identity and centralise control over resources, further deepening Baloch alienation.
Despite being rich in natural resources and central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Balochistan remains Pakistan’s most underdeveloped and militarized province. Although the deep-sea port at Gwadar and other major CPEC projects are situated on its territory, Baloch nationalists argue that Balochistan will receive only 0.5% of the project’s benefits, as 70% of the CPEC’s budget is allocated to energy, with none of the 13 major energy projects based in Balochistan.
While the rest of the country made notable progress in reducing poverty from 55 percent of households in 2004 to 37 percent in 2015, Balochistan saw only a modest improvement. During the same period, the province’s poverty rate dropped by just 10 percentage points, from 81 percent to 71 percent. Alarmingly, in three districts, Harnai, Panjgur, and Killa Abdullah, the incidence of poverty increased in real terms. Today, four out of the five poorest districts of Pakistan are located in Balochistan.
Instead of development, the CPEC has brought military checkpoints and fear. For many Baloch families, development means watching their loved ones vanish, their land change hands, and their voices go unheard. This situation clearly shows that the central government in Pakistan is more interested in extracting resources from Balochistan than in improving the lives of its people. Roads, ports, and pipelines are being built, not to benefit the local population, but to serve outsiders.
Today, Balochistan accounts for nearly 44% of Pakistan’s landmass but only 5% of the population. Despite housing significant reserves of natural gas, coal, copper, and gold, there is little development and prosperity in the largely desertic region where literacy rates remain significantly lower than the national average. The growing gap in development has increased long-standing income differences. Balochistan has the highest poverty rate in the country, with nearly 70% of its population living below the poverty line. The province also grapples with severe deficiencies in education and healthcare, as its literacy rate is only 54.5% and there are just 3 hospital beds per 10,000 people.
Their struggle is no longer just political; it is socio-economic. The cause not just neglect; it is a clear case of exploitation where the region’s wealth is used, but its people are forgotten. Now, after years of silence and suffering, the people are rising. From grieving families to marginalized youth, a movement is growing, demanding dignity, justice, and control over the local destiny.
The turning point in modern Baloch history was the 2006 assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a prominent tribal leader and former Chief Minister. His death in a military operation launched under Musharraf’s military rule provoked widespread outrage and triggered a new more intense phase of insurgency. According to independent estimates, this conflict has since claimed the lives of over 7,000 civilians and more than 1,200 security personnel. Security forces and intelligence agencies have also been accused of arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. On 29 April 2025, a panel of United Nations human rights experts issued a joint press release from Geneva, expressing “serious concern over the excessive and harmful impacts of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures in Balochistan”, and urging Islamabad to “fully respect international human rights and humanitarian law.” Their findings and recommendations illuminate the depth of abuse and the legal and policy reforms required.
According to the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED), as of January 2024, there have been at least 10,078 recorded cases of enforced disappearances nationwide, with 2,752 cases reported in Balochistan alone, which means that the number of Baloch Missing Persons is proportionately the highest. For instance, in March 2025, Dr. Mahrang Baloch and 17 other protesters were detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) following peaceful demonstrations. Activists face multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) with charges ranging from terrorism to public disorder, often based on dubious grounds.
It is disturbing that despite being abused and violated more than any ethnic minority in Pakistan, the so-called Human Rights defenders in Pakistan, like the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Amna Masood Janjua, chairperson of Defence of Human Rights Pakistan never raised the issue of Enforced Disappearances of the Pashtun and Baloch Ethnic Minorities in Pakistan. As a result, the province remains plagued by instability. Civil unrest, militant activity, and state militarisation continue to disrupt daily life, while hopes for a peaceful resolution remain distant.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization seeking independence for the Baloch people from Pakistan. Formed in the late 1990s and early 2000s in response to political marginalisation, economic exploitation, and military repression, the BLA has since emerged as one of the most active independentist groups in the region. It primarily operates in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, though it is believed to maintain safe havens in southern Afghanistan and parts of Iran. The group has repeatedly targeted Pakistani military installations, police stations, intelligence sites, and infrastructure projects, especially those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which it views as exploitative.
The demand for independence has escalated in recent months, culminating in Operation Darra-e-Bolan, a two-phase military campaign. The first phase concluded in February 2024 with the strategic capture of Mach City, signaling a bold assertion of territorial control. The second phase began in March 2025 with a targeted attack on the Jaffar Express, unfolding over a week of intense clashes. The operation resulted in the most severe defeat for the Pakistani military in Balochistan to date, with over 354 personnel killed, 100 plus injured, and 214 captured.
In May 2025, the BLA claimed responsibility for a massive wave of 71 coordinated attacks across 51 locations in Balochistan, aimed at testing military readiness and strategic coordination. The BLA also issued a message to India following India’s Operation Sindoor, offering to support military efforts against Pakistan from the western front and portraying Pakistan as a terrorist state.
Most recently, on 30th May 2025, during Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Quetta, the BLA captured the strategic city of Surab in Balochistan. They took control of key government offices, police stations, and highways, disrupting state authority for over three hours. The incident, which resulted in the death of a local official, highlighted ongoing independence challenges and was seen as a significant setback for Pakistan’s security forces.
Balochistan continues to suffer from widespread human rights violations and regional neglect despite being one of the most resource-rich areas in Pakistan. Since the country’s independence, the Baloch people, composed of several tribal communities, have faced systemic economic exclusion, and frequent military crackdowns. These longstanding issues have led to deep frustration and a growing resistance movement. The recent incidents, including the hijacking of a train and the proclamation of independence, reflect the desperation of the Baloch people. The BLA is no longer a scattered group of militants; it has grown into a structured and coordinated organisation aiming to liberate Balochistan from what they call a repressive state. There must be an acknowledgment of the legitimate grievances of the Baloch people, along with concrete efforts to uphold human rights, ensure accountability, and create avenues for political dialogue. The international community must pay serious attention to the crisis and help ensure that justice, dignity, and equal rights are extended to Balochistan.
References:
https://www.theigc.org/sites/default/files/2018/04/Pakistan-report.pdF
Sabreena Gul Khan, Amir Jan & Gulawar Khan, A Study of the Causes of Political Instability in Balochistan After 2010, 14 J. Asian Dev. Stud. 1 (Mar. 2025).
Manzoor Ahmed & Akhtar Baloch, The Political Economy of Development: A Critical Assessment of Balochistan, Pakistan, 7 Int’l J. Acad. Res. Bus. & Soc. Sci. 274 (2017), https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v7- i6/3063.
‘Untapped Mineral Deposits in Balochistan, Dawn (June 18, 2010), https://www.dawn.com/news/870567/untapped-mineral-deposits-in-balochistan (last visited Mar. 30, 2025).
https://ijlmh.com/wp-content/uploads/Balochistan-in-Crisis.pdf
“Conflict in Balochistan – A report of the fact-finding missions”, op.cit.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/un-experts-urge-pakistan-address-human-rights-violations-balochistan
Dawn. (2025, March 24). Mahrang, other BYC leaders face terror charges. https://www.dawn.com/news/1899910
United Nations Human Rights Council. (2024, March 4). Enforced Disappearances of Pashtun Ethnic Minority in Pakistan Continue with Impunity Despite Intervention by Supreme Court of Pakistan (A/HRC/55/NGO/138). United Nations.
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