Balochistan: A blow to Pakistan and China
Pakistan's Balochistan yearns to breathe fresh air. It yearns for independence. The whole world knows that the atrocities committed by Pakistani rulers in Balochistan are long. It is also a fact that the Pakistani Army and ISI have lost control of Balochistan. Pakistan conceals the truth and tries its best to suppress the voices of its people. Pakistan is on the verge of collapse. History has no secret that after the partition of India, the State of Qalat, or Balochistan, remained independent for approximately 227 days. Balochistan did not want to join Pakistan, and Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, also supported an independent Balochistan. In 1947, relations between the Bugti Nawab and the Khan of Qalat changed irrevocably. Jinnah then forcibly annexed Balochistan to Pakistan. From then until today, Pakistan has exploited Balochistan to the fullest. It is from here that Pakistan receives the largest revenue, yet the province remains backward. The Balochistan Liberation Army, demanding independence, has been a thorn in the side of the Pakistan Army and the ISI.
Pakistan has now suffered another major setback regarding the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The trio of the US, England, and France have thwarted Pakistan's plans. The US has changed its stance on this issue. Pakistan, with the help of China, proposed banning two Balochistan-linked organizations at the United Nations, but the US, England, and France vetoed this proposal. Pakistan had proposed declaring the BLA and its military wing, the Majeed Brigade, as global terrorists. Pakistan had proposed declaring them terrorist organizations under Section 1267 of the UN Code. The US clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that these two Baloch organizations are linked to al-Qaeda or ISIS. In fact, last month, the US had designated the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as foreign terrorist organizations. The US State Department said in its statement that the Majeed Brigade was a nickname for the BLA's previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation. At the time, the US move was seen as a balancing act, as the US had designated LeT's "The Resistance Front" (TRF), which carried out the Pahalgam attack, as a group affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
However, the US flatly refused to ban the Baloch organizations at the UN on technical grounds. Pakistan currently serves as a temporary member of the 15-nation Security Council for the 2025-26 term, while China is a permanent member. Encouraged by the US announcement, Pakistan and China, seeking personal gain, wanted to declare the BLA Majeed Brigade a global terrorist organization, but their plot failed. However, the US flatly refused to ban the Baloch organizations at the UN on technical grounds. In fact, Pakistan and China wanted to ban these organizations for their own personal gain. Whenever India proposes to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist at the UN, China has consistently vetoed the proposal.
The Balochistan Liberation Army maintains that they are not terrorists but protectors of the motherland. In May of this year, BLA fighters hijacked Pakistan's Jaffar Express train, drawing global attention. Furthermore, attacks on the Pakistani army are occurring there on a regular basis. Who doesn't know that these attacks are against the repression of the Pakistani army? Not only is the Baloch movement gaining momentum, but Pashtuns are also demanding their independence. Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) leader Hyrbyair Marri has agreed to work together with Pashtuns and form a secular regional alliance. Free Balochistan Movement is also active in Iranian-occupied Balochistan, and Baloch people hope to soon unify their divided region. Free Balochistan Movement has stated that Baloch has been in a state of war for more than seven decades. The Pakistani army and air force are indiscriminately targeting Baloch civilians, creating a serious humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Baloch people have been forcibly disappeared, and millions have been displaced from their ancestral lands.
Since the formation of Pakistan, voices of rebellion have been rising from Balochistan, but the situation has become more complicated with China's entry into Balochistan. Pakistan has handed over Gwadar Kot in Balochistan to China, and the local Baloch are protesting. Balochistan is a key part of the $68 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a project that is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. If Balochistan were to slip out of Pakistan's hands, half of Pakistan would be lost. The people of Balochistan now believe that their future is not secure in Pakistan. Pakistan has suffered a moral and psychological defeat there. Currently, Pakistan and China have suffered a severe blow. The United Nations and the international community must seriously recognize the situation in Balochistan and break their silence to stop Pakistan's repression.