Pakistani soldiers pass by a road in Quetta, the capital of restive Balochistan province, on Aug. 27, 2024. (Photo by EPA/Jiji)
On Sunday, Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), a loose alliance of militant organizations pushing for independence in resource-rich Balochistan province, announced plans to restructure into a centralized force called the Baloch National Army. It was unclear how many personnel would take part in this new force.
The agreement came after a three-day meeting of banned separatist groups which have previously killed Chinese nationals and targeted investments in the restive region — the center of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In a statement, BRAS vowed to “inflict greater losses on the enemy” as it ramps up a “war” against Pakistan and China.
“To intensify resistance against the looting of Baloch resources, the exploitative projects of Pakistani and Chinese capitalists and the presence of the occupying army, it was decided to intensify the blockade on all important highways of Balochistan to disrupt the logistical, economic and military interests of the occupying state,” it added.
Visiting Chinese workers, who number about 20,000 in Pakistan, have been the prime target of Baloch separatists in recent years.
At least 20 Chinese nationals have been killed and 34 injured across more than a dozen attacks since 2021, according to Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority.
News of the militant army came a day before a female suicide bomber attacked a security forces convoy in Balochistan, while several security personnel were wounded in late February when militants attacked a Chinese truck convoy carrying copper shipments.
Civilians and security officials inspect the scene of a blast in Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan province, on Feb. 28. (Photo by EPA/Jiji)Apart from armed attacks and highway blockades, the militant alliance also announced plans to launch a diplomatic campaign to bring international attention to their claims of Chinese exploitation of Balochistan’s resources.
“This is the first instance, not only in the region but in the world, in which militant groups have allied for the expressed purpose of opposing Chinese influence,” said Tricia Bacon, a scholar and author of “Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances.”
It also underlined how tribal rivalries that challenged previous efforts to unite militant groups may be losing their grip.
“Traditionally, insurgency in Balochistan was organized around tribal lines, which also hindered any effort to unite multiple groups under one umbrella. This is, however, no longer the case,” said Khuram Iqbal, an Islamabad-based counterterrorism expert.
“The growing participation of the educated middle class [in Balochistan] could possibly overcome tribal rivalries to sustain a united front more effectively than any such effort in the past,” he added.
Observers said putting disparate groups under a single command could significantly expand separatist militancy which, compounded by attacks linked to Islamists groups, has made Beijing wary about its extensive investment in the cash-strapped country.
“The Baloch National Army is bringing together the most influential and lethal militant factions in Balochistan, and this merger is not just an alliance. It is a full integration of groups under one command structure,” said Kiyya Baloch, an independent analyst who tracks violence in the region. “By pooling manpower and funding, they could mount larger-scale attacks against both Pakistan and Chinese interests in the region, intensifying pressure on security forces.”
The Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army, a separatist militant group operating in Pakistan’s southeastern Sindh province, also agreed to join forces with BRAS at the recent meeting.
“The Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army and Baloch separatist militant groups will coordinate their activities, particularly in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, to destabilize Chinese interests in the region,” Baloch said.
But separatist alliances can be difficult to manage unless one group emerges as a clear leader and essentially absorbs the weaker groups, said Bacon, who is also an associate professor at the American University’s School of Public Affairs.
“Otherwise, mistrust and concerns about betrayals often limit the amount of cooperation and the effectiveness of the alliance,” she told Nikkei.
Pakistan has also been attracting some non-Chinese investment including Canada’s Barrick Gold operating a copper and gold mine. Saudi Arabia is finalizing an expected investment in the same project.
“The Government of Pakistan is keen to involve other major powers in Balochistan’s mining sector,” said Iqbal, author of “The Making of Pakistani Human Bombs”. “This could help Islamabad to seek international support and legitimacy for its future counterinsurgency operations in the province.”
The article appeared in the asia.nikkei