Balochistan Insurgency: A History of Resistance Against Pakistan’s Grip
Balochistan’s story of unrest began right after Pakistan’s birth in 1947. The princely state of Kalat didn’t want to join, but Pakistan annexed it by force in 1948. Since then, the region has seen wave after wave of uprisings. People there feel oppressed, their resources stolen, and their voices ignored. This ongoing Balochistan insurgency isn’t just about old grudges—it’s a fight for basic rights and self-rule.
Over the years, rebellions flared up in 1958, the 1970s, early 2000s, and now. Each time, the main triggers are the same: harsh crackdowns by the Pakistani state, looting of natural wealth like gas and minerals, and zero say in their own future. The current phase, driven by groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), feels different. It’s not led just by tribal elders anymore. Young, educated Baloch folks, fed up with decades of abuse, have joined in. They’ve turned it into a smart, spread-out fight that’s hard for the Pakistan Army to stamp out.
The Pakistan Army, one of the world’s biggest forces with tons of gear, is struggling big time. Last week, reports say Pakistan Air Force jets bombed areas in Mach, a spot in Balochistan’s Bolan region. This isn’t a sign of strength—it’s a desperate move from a government that’s lost the trust of its own people. Dropping bombs on your citizens? That’s not leadership; it’s a failure to win hearts through talks or fairness.
These airstrikes in Balochistan aim to scare whole communities into silence, not just hit rebels. The army’s ground game has flopped hard. Even with thousands of troops and spy networks, they’ve lost hundreds in ambushes. The Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies notes over 120 attacks in Balochistan in 2023 alone, killing and injuring security forces. Places like Bolan, Karachi, and Gwadar have turned into hotspots where BLA strikes hit hard. It shows the insurgency has spread beyond the army’s reach, chipping away at their tough-guy image.
Worse, these attacks often kill innocent civilians in crowded areas. Rights groups report tons of deaths from past operations, but Pakistan brushes them off as "collateral damage." That cold attitude just fuels more rage. Every bomb creates more fighters, keeping the Baloch resistance alive. The idea of freedom? Bombs can’t kill that.
Balochistan’s rich in gas, copper, gold, and more—it supplies a big chunk of Pakistan’s energy. But locals? They’re stuck in poverty. Literacy is around 40%, way below the national average, and over 40% live in deep hardship in many spots. Clean water, schools, and hospitals? Rare finds. The wealth flows to elites in Punjab and Sindh, guarded by army guns. It’s like old-school colonialism, not real development. Strikes in places like Mach protect those profits, not people.
This mess highlights Pakistan’s real power setup: the army runs the show, not elected leaders. Civilian governments have no control in Balochistan—generals decide on security, projects, and everything else. Airstrikes need top military okay, proving it’s basically a military dictatorship. They claim to unite the nation, but in Balochistan, they act like outsiders destroying homes to enforce quiet.
Experts say a state loses its right to rule when it picks bombs over ballots. Pakistan offers no safety or justice here—just fear. Bombing villages won’t build loyalty; it deepens the divide and boosts the narrative that Pakistan is an occupier.
Some defend the strikes as protecting national security and big projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But that doesn’t hold up. Repression makes things more unstable, scaring off investors. Even China pushes for talks, knowing business can’t boom in chaos. History proves it: past Baloch uprisings ended with deals, not force. Ignoring dialogue means this fight drags on for years.
The fix is simple but dodged: start real talks, share resources fairly, and give Balochistan true autonomy. The army sees compromise as weakness, so they stick to intimidation. Meanwhile, soldiers and locals suffer, while generals get richer from land deals and control.
These Mach airstrikes fit a long pattern of state violence in Balochistan. They show the Pakistan Army’s ground failures, disregard for lives, and panic to hold power. Ruling by coercion, not consent, means they’ve already lost the moral high ground. In Balochistan, jets might rule the sky, but the ground burns with a fire for freedom that no bomb can put out.
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