Recent deadly strikes in Pakistan’s Balochistan province are more than random acts of violence. They signal a profound, unresolved political conflict simmering between the resource-rich region and the central Pakistani state for decades.
A detailed report highlights Balochistan’s paradox: brimming with natural gas, copper, gold, coal, fisheries, and a strategically vital coastline, yet it remains Pakistan’s most underdeveloped province in human development metrics.
For years, the province’s energy resources have powered Pakistan’s industries and urban centers. Yet, many areas still lack reliable electricity, clean drinking water, quality education, and basic healthcare.
Rampant unemployment, especially among educated youth, coupled with scarce opportunities, exclusion from decision-making, and a sense of national alienation, has fueled the crisis. Despite ongoing resource extraction and security operations, no major development projects have materialized.
Writing in the online newspaper Tarkeen-e-Watan, Alamdar Hussain Malik asserts these attacks are not isolated incidents or mere security lapses. ‘They represent the latest flare-up in a deep-seated political struggle between Balochistan and the Pakistani state,’ he writes.
Since Pakistan’s formation, Balochistan has witnessed repeated cycles of rebellion rooted in unfulfilled political promises, disputed autonomy, and denial of constitutional rights.
Militant groups now frame their assaults as leverage for political concessions, economic justice, and structural reforms, indicating a shift toward a clearer political agenda beyond armed resistance.
The report unequivocally condemns violence against civilians and the state. However, viewing these events solely as law-and-order issues ignores the profound political fissures defining Balochistan.
Successive Pakistani governments have treated Balochistan as a security challenge rather than a political question, responding to major incidents with intensified operations, troop deployments, and stricter administrative controls.
This approach has failed to address underlying grievances, perpetuating a cycle of unrest that demands urgent political dialogue and equitable development.