The Baloch Liberation Army released this photo of Shari Baloch, the suicide bomber behind the University of Karachi attack [Handout/BLA]
by Muhammad Ahmad Khan 1 April 2023
A month earlier, I wrote an article in Eurasia Review that quantified the attacks on Chinese citizens in Pakistan, including the nature of tactics, and targets. Based on the quantification, the article concluded that what are the real objectives of these terrorist outfits and what will be the future outlook of these organizations working in Balochistan. Most importantly, in the last years, these organizations had started engaging women for their nasty actions. They call this engagement of women as expanding their agenda in the name of Baloch nationalism, highlighting the participation of women as a result of policy failures by the central government.
And importantly, the women that have been contacted so far are quite literate as Shari Baloch, the suicide attacker on Chinese citizens at Karachi University was a primary school teacher. It strengthens the narrative of Baloch terrorist outfits that they are fighting for a genuine cause to protect their identity. But is that an actual reality these groups are promoting, is the main argument of this article? Why Baloch terrorist outfits are now recruiting women and how it will impact the whole Baloch nation in the coming future.
Recently, security forces carried out an intelligence operation and arrested Mahal Baloch, another woman with her suicide jacket. The video of Mahal issued by the security branch shows her confessing that she was working with the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF). She accepted that her husband had been already working for the group and used to bring weapons to the house. Later on, she was contacted by other members of the BLF that appreciated her being a part of the group and fighting for the Baloch cause. BLF is just one organization. There is other as well like Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) the most prominent terrorist group with its heinous tactics used against security forces, and Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF) as well.
Although the province had been indulged in insurgencies, from the inception of Pakistan, the recent struggle is taking quite a long to be countered by the security forces. There are reasons behind it. One of the major reasons is that the group enhanced its violence after 2015 when CPEC was launched. One, going through the official telegram website of BLA can see the posts in which it demands Chinese investors leave Balochistan.
Security forces currently cannot launch an all-out operation against these terrorists for two reasons. Firstly, it has been 8 years since CPEC was launched and the number of developmental projects is almost completed. Starting a counter-terrorist operation will damage these developmental projects. Secondly, if any operation is launched it will now hurt Pakistan nationally as well as internationally. Nationally, the country claims to be focusing more on geoeconomics so all the policy framework will be on economic development. Internationally, the counter-terrorist operation against Baloch extremists will be regarded as Pakistan’s state suppressing Baloch people, as there are narratives that promote such agendas, and India is at the top of the list.
Seeking benefits of the state’s limitations, these terrorist outfits are now contacting Baloch women. It benefits these groups in expanding their agenda at the global level, and the participation of women will also seek attention at the national level. Mahal Baloch’s confession has revealed such nefarious objectives of these terrorist outfits. And ultimately, it will not only impact Baloch people socially but also economically.
Economically, the government had brought the Chinese investor under the CPEC agenda to bring development and stability to the province. Any terrorist outfit in the name of Baloch will halt these investments and the people will end nowhere. Socially, the Baloch people are a very respectable, hospitable, resilient, and brave nation. But these gallant characteristics of these people are being exploited using identity cards. Behind, these organizations have their agendas. Baloch people must stand against this negative portrayal of their culture and should protect their women. They must stand with the government and ask for their rights legitimately. All the initiatives taken are for these people and they should join hands to protect these developments. Recently, narratives from China had been promulgated that their authorities are concerned about terrorist groups attacking Chinese citizens that may halt their further investment. So, this is the time for the Baloch to stand for themselves and defenestrate these so-called Baloch terrorist groups so they can prosper in peace and stability can flow across the province.