NEW DELHI: Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Bugti tribal leader and prominent Baloch politician, was killed by the Pakistani military on 26 August 2006. This was the date when the latest coordinated attacks were carried out in Balochistan.
On Sunday night, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched multiple attacks across Balochistan, which continued into Monday morning (26 August). These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 70 people, including of both officials and militants, according to various media reports. The BLA has claimed responsibility for these attacks that were a part of “Operation Herof”. One particularly shocking incident involved the killing of 23 civilians in the Musa Khel district of Balochistan. The victims were initially identified as being from Punjab before being targeted, and several buses and trucks along the highway were set on fire. Violence was also reported in districts such as Kalat, Lasbela, and Bolan, where roads and police posts were attacked. Notably, in Bolan, a colonial-era bridge that connected Balochistan with the rest of the country was attacked, leading to the suspension of rail traffic in Quetta. This rising violence is part of a broader rebellion by the people of Balochistan, a separatist insurrection with deep historical and contemporary roots.
This rebellion primarily stems from an ethnic conflict that began with the creation of Pakistan, as the country has continually sought to assimilate Baloch identity into a broader homogeneous Pakistani identity after forcibly annexing the princely state of Kalat in 1948. Balochistan is home to more than 150+ tribes. Consequently, multiple tribal structures, rivalries, distrust, and conflicting norms exist, which further fragment the efforts towards a unified nationalist movement. Amongst these, three major tribes in Balochistan—Marri, Bugti, and Mengal—have been at the forefront of the insurgency, although the leadership of the Baloch insurgency has now shifted from tribal leaders to educated middle-class youths. The Bugti tribe has been particularly associated with the Baloch insurgency, as alleged by the federal government and militia. This claim was reinforced by the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Bugti tribal leader and prominent Baloch politician, by the Pakistani military on 26 August 2006. Notably, this date also coincides with the day when these coordinated attacks were carried out in Balochistan.
Additionally, the Baloch people harbour resentment and distrust toward Pakistan’s federal government due to its failure to improve the economic conditions in the province. Balochistan continues to suffer from high levels of multidimensional poverty, which is the second-highest in the country, along with ongoing false claims of prosperity and state violence. The exploitation of Baloch resources by the federal government from the very beginning has exacerbated the situation further. Severe challenges, such as water scarcity, persistent drought, remoteness, rugged terrain, and underdeveloped infrastructure, also contribute to the province’s ongoing plight. Balochistan has seen minimal benefits despite the region’s vast resources, including coal, oil, copper, gold, and natural gas. Major projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Reko-Diq mining project primarily serve federal interests rather than address local needs and economic development.
Moreover, the Gwadar mega-port has also been a major source of conflict for the Baloch people. The Chinese-funded construction of Gwadar port is a strategic asset for Pakistan, helping to counter Indian naval dominance in the region and strengthen its ties with China. However, this port has largely benefited Pakistan’s federal government, with minimal involvement of the local Baloch population.
Domination by Punjabis poses a significant issue for the Baloch people, who feel that their interests are overshadowed by those of Punjabis, the largest ethnic group in the country. This tension was a major factor in the Musa Khel attack on 26 August. The resentment toward Punjabis is rooted in historical conflicts. During the colonial era, the British favoured Punjabis, entrusting them with the consolidation and administration of the region while mainly ignoring the interests of the Baloch people. The One Unit Scheme, introduced in 1955, further exacerbated the Baloch-Punjabi conflict by centralising power in the hands of the federal government and stripping Balochistan of its provincial autonomy, which led to significant rebellions.
Nevertheless, Balochistan did become a province in 1970, and the National Awami Party (NAP) won the first elections held in the province in 1972. However, the provincial government was dismissed by the federal government under President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with Chief Minister Sardar Atta Ullah Mengal and other prominent NAP leaders, including Nawab Khair Buksh Marri, Abdul Wali Khan, and Mir Ghous Buksh Bizenjo, being imprisoned on various charges. This led to one of the deadliest rebellions in Balochistan’s history, known as the Independent Balochistan Movement of 1973, which persisted for over four years and ultimately ended in 1977.
The Balochis also have significant issues with the Pashtuns. This Baloch-Pashtun divide has persisted over time and stems from the Baloch fear of losing their land to the Pashtuns, who dominate the northern part of the province and have experienced significant development compared to the Balochis, partly due to British interests during the colonial era. With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Balochistan has faced a major refugee crisis due to the influx of Afghan Pashtuns, which also included multiple displaced Taliban groups. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has also established new bases in the Balochistan region, making Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, a centre for Taliban extremist activities in Pakistan. This joining of various groups with the Baloch insurgents has contributed significantly to the increase in violent conflicts in the region. Since June 2022, four Baloch groups led by Aslam Baloch, Mazar Baloch, Akram Baloch, and Asim Baloch—who had previously fought against the US-led NATO Alliance in Afghanistan—have joined the TTP, leading to a new TTP-Baloch insurgent nexus. These developments have consequently increased the deployment of federal army personnel and paramilitary troops in the region.
Driven by a lasting fear of losing their identity and regional autonomy, the Balochis have persistently engaged in violent conflicts and rebellions against Pakistan’s federal government. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), of the 4,700 conflict-linked civilian fatalities recorded in Balochistan since 2004 (data up to December 31, 2023), at least 1,469 are attributable to various terrorist and insurgent groups. Overall, terrorism-related incidents increased from 271 in 2022 to 278 in 2023, the highest annual figure since 2015, when there were 444 incidents. Balochistan alone accounted for 31.32% of Pakistan’s total of 1,492 terrorism and insurgency-linked fatalities in 2023.
Despite this, the Pakistani federal government has consistently responded with harsh measures and extensive militarisation of the region. The army has employed extreme tactics to forcibly and aggressively suppress the Baloch nationalist movement over the years. State-sponsored enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have led to a series of retaliatory attacks and violence against state authorities and establishments. According to Amnesty International data, since 2011, at least 10,078 enforced disappearances have been recorded by the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED). Of these, 2,752 occurred in Balochistan.
In response to the latest attacks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating terrorism at all costs, as reported by the Dawn. On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has extended an olive branch to the Baloch separatists, suggesting talks with the government as a potential resolution to the ongoing conflicts in the region. History has shown that the use of force, fear, and violence has only exacerbated the situation. Until the genuine concerns of the Baloch people are addressed, peace and stability in the region will remain elusive, with no immediate relief from insurgency in sight.
Akansha Sinha is an intern at India Foundation.