The situation became more volatile post-9/11 as all the dormant powers became more active and the anti-state elements started receiving funds for their operations. The people of Balochistan feel they have been let down by all state institutions. They have a grievance against the post-2008 regime that their right to representative government was ignored. The killing of Akbar Bugti in military operation in 2006 has become the turning point after which the people could not trust the army and have resorted to a new spate of violence and insurgency.
Since military operations have always been launched to quell insurgencies in Balochistan, thus the perception persists that the armed forces are behind the current turmoil too and that the killing of every Baloch activist is being attributed as the doing of the security apparatus. The law enforcers however need to clarify their position by bringing transparency to their working mechanism in the province.
Furthermore, the background and linkages of the so-called activist organisation ought to be exposed for what they truly are. For example, there have been allegations of the Baloch Liberation Army receiving financial assistance and training from Indian intelligence agencies. That attacks upon the law enforcers and poor locals and labourers have been claimed by them further exemplifies the fact.
It is being believed that the inability of the security apparatus to bring stability to the province has led to a halt in developmental projects and that the armed forces have always viewed the province through a security prism without keeping the needs of the local people in view. According to the locals the security establishment and the government does not have the vision or will to address grievances as they are not even ready to accept human rights violations are taking place in the province.
There is a disconnect between the armed forces and the local people as there is a colossal misunderstanding between the two. This reduces trust and reinforces the popular narrative that the security forces are carrying out a military operation in Balochistan. The ‘kill and dump’ operations are said to be carried out by them, so to speak because of the muted stance that people have adopted due to threats they receive in case reality is exposed.
The missing persons’ cases, despite being of great significance are never investigated to give the true picture by the judiciary. Thus the blame game continues. Balochistan needs to be viewed through a reality lens so that the truth be exposed. That the incompetence of the government should be exposed for its inability to maintain law and order. That security forces are always used at the behest of the governments to control upheavals and unrest and do not operate on their own. It’s time the responsibility be put on the correct shoulder.
