Pakistan’s treatment of Balochistan stands as a glaring stain on the country’s moral fabric, a festering wound that exposes the hypocrisy of a state claiming to champion sovereignty and self determination while brutally suppressing its own people. The Baloch, a proud and resilient ethnic group with a distinct cultural and historical identity, have endured decades of systematic oppression, exploitation and violence at the hands of the Pakistani state. This is not merely a regional issue but a grotesque display of inhumanity that demands global condemnation. Far from being a mere internal matter, Pakistan’s actions in Balochistan reveal a calculated campaign of disenfranchisement, resource plunder and cultural erasure; all executed with a callous disregard for human rights and dignity.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, is a land rich in natural resources like gas, coal, copper and gold, yet its people languish in abject poverty. The province contributes significantly to Pakistan’s economy through its vast mineral wealth, particularly from projects like the Saindak Copper-Gold Mine and the Sui gas fields. However, the benefits of these resources rarely reach the Baloch people. Instead, the profits are siphoned off to enrich the elites in Islamabad and Punjab, leaving Balochistan with crumbling infrastructure, inadequate healthcare and abysmal education systems. The Pakistani state’s exploitation of Balochistan’s resources is not just economic theft; it is a deliberate act of impoverishment designed to keep the Baloch weak and dependent. While the federal government reaps billions from gas fields discovered in Balochistan, local communities lack basic amenities like clean water and electricity. This stark disparity is not an accident but a policy of neglect meant to subdue a population that dares to demand its rightful share.
The economic marginalisation of Balochistan is compounded by a campaign of political repression and genocide. The Baloch people have long sought independence, driven by a history of broken promises and betrayal by the Pakistani state. Since Pakistan’s creation in 1947, Balochistan has been subjected to multiple military operations aimed at crushing dissent. The most recent wave of violence, ongoing since the early 2000s, has seen the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies unleash a reign of terror. Thousands of Baloch activists, students, intellectuals and ordinary citizens have been subjected to enforced disappearances and state sanctioned abductions. These individuals are often taken from their homes in the dead of night, never to be seen again, leaving families in perpetual anguish. The notorious “kill and dump” policy, where mutilated bodies of the disappeared are found abandoned in remote areas, serves as a chilling warning to anyone who dares challenge Pakistan’s authority. Human rights organizations estimate that tens of thousands of Baloch have vanished, with no accountability or justice in sight. This is not governance but outrightly state terrorism.
Pakistan’s security forces operate with impunity in Balochistan, treating the province as a war zone rather than a part of their own country. Military checkpoints dot the landscape, harassing and humiliating locals under the pretext of counterinsurgency. The Baloch are branded as “terrorists” for demanding basic rights, a label that justifies extrajudicial killings, torture and mass detentions. The Pakistani state’s narrative paints the Baloch as a threat to national unity, but this is a convenient lie to mask its own failures. The Baloch insurgency, while armed in some instances, is a response to decades of subjugation, not its cause.
Cultural erasure is another weapon in Pakistan’s arsenal against the Baloch. The state has systematically undermined Baloch identity by imposing Urdu and Punjabi dominance in education, administration and media. Balochi, the native language of the province, is sidelined, with little support for its preservation or promotion. Schools in Balochistan are underfunded and the curriculum often ignores the region’s rich history and contributions, fostering a sense of alienation among the youth. The Pakistani state’s efforts to assimilate the Baloch into a homogenized national identity are not just cultural vandalism but a deliberate attempt to erase a people’s heritage. This cultural suppression is accompanied by demographic engineering, with Non Baloch settlers encouraged to move into the province, particularly in areas like Gwadar, where the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has become a flashpoint. The CPEC, touted as a game changer for Pakistan’s economy, has brought little benefit to the Baloch, who face displacement and loss of livelihoods as their land is handed over to Chinese companies and Pakistani elites. The port of Gwadar, a jewel of Balochistan’s coast, has become a symbol of colonial exploitation, with local fishermen and communities pushed out to make way for mega projects that serve foreign interests.
Pakistan’s propaganda machine works tirelessly to obscure these atrocities, portraying Balochistan’s plight as a product of foreign conspiracies or internal tribal conflicts. This narrative is a shameless deflection from the actual truth that the Pakistani state is the primary architect of Balochistan’s suffering. By blaming external actors, Pakistan seeks to divert attention from its own failures and justify its brutal crackdowns. The international community, however, cannot afford to remain complicit in this charade. The silence of global powers, particularly those with economic ties to Pakistan, emboldens Islamabad to continue its campaign of repression. The United Nations and human rights organizations have occasionally raised concerns, but their reports are met with denials or promises of investigations that never materialize. Pakistan’s ability to evade accountability is a testament to its diplomatic manoeuvring and the world’s selective outrage.
The plight of Balochistan is not just a regional tragedy but a test of humanity’s commitment to justice. The Baloch people are not asking for charity; they demand what is rightfully theirs: control over their resources, respect for their identity and the freedom to determine their future. Pakistan’s refusal to grant these basic rights exposes its hollow claims of being a democratic state. A nation that brutalizes its own citizens while preaching unity and progress is a nation built on lies. The international community must hold Pakistan accountable, imposing sanctions, demanding independent investigations and amplifying the voices of the Baloch.
The resilience of the Baloch people, despite decades of suffering, is a testament to their unbreakable spirit. Their struggle is not just for survival but for dignity, justice and the right to exist as a distinct people. Pakistan’s inhuman treatment of Balochistan is a crime against humanity, a calculated effort to crush a nation within a nation. The world must not turn a blind eye to this injustice. The Baloch deserve more than sympathy; they deserve action, accountability and the chance to live free from the shadow of tyranny. Pakistan’s actions in Balochistan are not just a betrayal of its own people but a mockery of the principles of humanity itself. The time for excuses is over; the time for justice is now.
