​Terror on the train: on Pakistan and its Balochistan province  

Pakistan must solve Balochistan’s problems, not blame outsiders

The attack on the Jaffar Express, on March 11, in a mountainous region of Balochistan, is one of the most daring attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in recent times. The BLA’s move, demanding the release of Baloch militants from jails, was met with a swift military response from Pakistan. According to the Pakistani authorities, 354 passengers were rescued after a 36-hour long stand-off in which 26 security personnel and passengers and 33 rebel fighters were killed. Pakistan has accused its “eastern neighbour” (India) and “Afghan handlers” of helping the Baloch separatists. But beneath such allegations lie Pakistan’s growing internal security vulnerabilities. The BLA, now the most powerful separatist group from the restive Balochistan province, has been carrying out a host of attacks. In November 2024, it claimed a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta, the provincial capital, that killed at least two dozen people. It has also targeted Chinese workers in repeated attacks in the province. And with each attack, the Pakistani military has responded with heavy force. But it seems clueless on how to deter the attacks and bring stability to the region.

While visiting Quetta after the Jaffar Express attack, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made a rare acknowledgement that the lack of development in Balochistan was an obstacle in eliminating terrorism. Baloch separatists have long argued that the Pakistani state, dominated by Punjabis and Sindhis, has historically ignored the Balochis. The BLA and other Baloch nationalist groups accuse the federal government of plundering Balochistan’s resources, and blame security agencies for the forced disappearances, torture and extra-judicial killings of Baloch civilians and rebels. Pakistan’s reliance on military campaigns in Balochistan has only reinforced the narrative of the separatists — of the province being treated differently by Islamabad-Rawalpindi. Pakistan has blamed India and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (before the 2021 Taliban takeover) for helping Baloch rebels. It also welcomed the return of the Taliban to Kabul as a moment of Afghanistan “breaking the shackles of slavery”. But it was a bonhomie that did not last. Today, Pakistan says Baloch separatists and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are operating from safe havens in Taliban-run Afghanistan. Together, the TTP and Baloch rebels pose grave security challenges to Pakistan at a time when it is battling economic uncertainty and political instability. But Balochistan is a clear example that a military response alone does not bring peace and stability. If Pakistan wants to calm its restive regions, it should address the political and economic problems that fuel instability and insurgency.

Published - March 17, 2025 12:20 am IST