ISLAMABAD: Experts at a roundtable discussion on Balochistan’s escalating security crisis warned that the government’s failure to engage meaningfully with Baloch dissidents is worsening the conflict. The roundtable, titled “Balochistan’s Escalating Security Crisis,” was hosted by the Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) to review the situation and explore potential solutions for the province’s stability.
The security situation in Balochistan has sharply deteriorated due to long-standing neglect, misrule, and repression. Analysts at the discussion emphasized that the ongoing deadlock is pushing insurgents towards more extreme forms of violence, highlighting the urgent need for a negotiated settlement.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed criticized successive governments for not implementing key reports that could have politically and economically empowered Balochistan. He highlighted failures related to the 2005 Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan and a recent report on missing persons commissioned by the Islamabad High Court. Syed also lamented the Shahbaz government’s missed opportunity to address the issue of missing persons through legislation proposed by former Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.
To address these issues, Syed proposed a five-point plan that includes implementing existing reports, enhancing Pakistan-Iran security cooperation, empowering Balochistan’s chief minister to address local terrorism, and leveraging regional frameworks like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to counter external threats.
IPI Chairperson Dr. Shireen Mazari criticized the government’s security-focused approach, arguing that it has militarized the province and alienated its people. She highlighted enforced disappearances and exclusion from natural resources as major grievances and stressed that foreign investments, such as those from CPEC, will only be successful if local populations are included.
Abdul Basit, a fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, discussed how relative deprivation and the role of education and social media have heightened Baloch students’ sense of exploitation. He noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army’s tactics have become more sophisticated, using strategic disruptions and media to spread their message.
Basit warned that the conflict is at a deadlock, a common outcome in insurgencies, and urged the state to initiate negotiations to prevent the situation from escalating further. Dr. Maria Malik, assistant professor at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, called for the demilitarization of Balochistan and respect for the local population’s dignity and unique identity.
