Bhubaneswar: Pakistan has seen many nasty crisis in the past, economic, military rule, political
drama etc. But the situation at present has come to its survival. The Balochistan
issue is dominating all the media, international, Pakistan media and Indian media.
Baluchistan is preparing it’s own army indicates the escalation of this issue even
more in the future. But the big question here is, what is the major factor behind the
demand for a separate nation Balochistan from Pakistan. Every second day the
Baluchistan army attacks the Pakistan army. The most recent one was the train
hijack in Pakistan and the Balochis were ready to sacrifice their lives rather than
being tagged with Pakistan.

Although the Balochistan problem is coming more in news in the last few months or
years but this is a very old problem so to say. There were many incidents in the past
which has brought this matter to a point where it has reached its peak. If look at the
past, Pakistan is divided into four major provinces, Khayber Pakhtunkhwa ( KPK),
Panjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Balochistan is bordering with Iran and Afghanistan.
During 12 century, there were no boundaries in Balochistan border and neither the
name Balochistan was there. There were Baloch tribes living in different places
around Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan in small numbers. The name of these tribes
were like Makran, Kachhi, Sistan, Turbat tribes etc. There were no political system
as well. The tribes used to have their own leaders and follow their rules. There was a
very popular tribal leader named Mir Jalal Khan during that time. So he suggested
the whole tribal community living there should be united so that if any crisis or threat
occurs they could face united. So Mir Jalal made alliance between the 44 tribal
communities and created their own united group. The foundation of creating
Balochistan was made with this alliance itself. This is the reason the Baloch
community considers Mir Jalal as the founding father of Balochistan even today.
After Mir Jalal Khan, many other leaders came in Balochistan like Mir Chakar Rind
who also promoted and organised the same model as Mir Jalal. They were living in
this semi organized system, known as Rind – Lashari Union at that time. This union
was bordered with Iran where Safavid Empire was spreading very prominently and at
the same time Mughals were dominating in India during 16 th century. So the Baloch
tribes were in immense pressure. Which is why they made a central authority to
protect themselves and made Mir Ahamad Khan as the head of the state. This area
ruled by the Khan of Kalat ( Head of the state) Mir Ahmad Khan was called Khanate
of Kalat. Gradually in the Khanate of Kalat area, trade, law, military, administration
etc were properly developed and continued till 1749. When the predecessor of Mir
Ahmad Khan, Mir Nasir Khan came , the time was called the golden period for the
Balochistan. Nasir Khan transformed the political system, revised the Baloch army
with a strength of 25,000 soldiers and 1000 camels.

There was a two tier government system operating in Khanate of Kalat just like the
parliamentary and state- centre governing system. There were council system where
different tribal groups were ruled by their own leaders and the central power used to
be with the Khan of Kalat.

During the time of 1830, when Britishers had already ruling India. There was a geo
political war going on between the Britishers and Russia known as ‘ The Great
Game’. The central Asia rout of trade was very beneficial for anybody to become
powerful due to its successful trading facilities. Russia had taken over all the central
Asian regions and spread its Empire. They were heading towards Afghanistan. Then
the Britishers were worried about loosing the resources in India by losing it to
Russia. So to take control over Afghanistan, Iran and India they attacked the
moderday Balochistan and taken over it. Later they made this area the buffer zone
for distancing the Russians to enter India and created borders with time.
Britishers had never colonised Balochistan like the rest of the undecided India, it was
legally suitable to become an independent country post the exit of the Britishers.
Britishers were also accepted that Kalat region was an independent state. But the
state of Kalat was very small and weak then that it could have been influenced by
Russia easily, so they preferred it to incorporate with Pakistan rather than making it
an independent state. As the area was very important for the Britishers.
When India was divided, both Jinah and Nehru were to decided mutually which part
would go to whose side. If it was legally proved that state of Kalat was never under
the regime of Britishers, there would have been no claim of both Pakistan and India
over the Kalat State. Later Mohammad Ali Jinha manipulated the head of state of
Kalat to get associated with Pakistan over religious beliefs, commonality of culture
etc. As Jinha was a lawyer, he made a memorandum of understanding on declaring
Kalat as an independent state in 1946. So that India looses claim over it. As per the
agreement signed by the Britishers, Khan of Kalat and Jinha, Kalat was to remain an
independent state after the British rule and independence of India and Pakistan.
After the independence Pakistan gradually tried to influence and attack Kalat for
taking it to their province. After the pressure , threat, discussion, agreement and
certain conditions Pakistan finally added Kalat to its country 1948.
After its addition to Pakistan, Balochistan was totally isolated politically like a land
locked area. When Pakistan forcefully captured the Khan of Kalat and signed a
treaty to have a complete acquisition over the whole of Balochistan, the Baloch army
started a guerrilla war against Pakistan and started attacking the Pakistani army after
forming a Baloch National Liberation Committee. Though they were less in number
but they were well acquainted with the nook and corner of the region. So it became
difficult for the Pakistani army to deal with the Baloch army. They used to attack from
hiding behind the hills. Then Pakistan army negotiated with the Baloch prince Abdul
Khan by swearing on Quran that they would not harm the Baloch if they come down

from the hills and surrender. But as soon as they come down the Pakistani army
refuted their swear and captured the Baloch leaders and put them in jail.
During 1955, Pakistan was divided into two parts, East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and
west Pakistan. West Pakistan had four provinces, Sindh, NWFP, Punjab and
Balochistan. Pakistan, through the one unit policy, wanted to keep the west Pakistan
as one single province. This policy became a direct threat to Balochistan as it was
losing its identity, history, culture, even the name etc. The whole region was to
venamed as West Pakistan. The name Balochistan was disappearing. The political
representation was over and they became the second class citizen. The Punjab
leadership in Pakistan started controlling everything. So there were protests and
conflict in the Balochi region. In the year 1958, the situation became so aggressive,
Pakistan imposed martial law in Balochistan. Due to the imposition of martial law the
Baloch list their rights as well. Thebaloch community started the guerrilla war once
again with same process and the Pakistani army also used the exact same trick to
put them in jail. In 1960 the leaders were given death sentence. As a result the
common people became more aggressive and started attacking , police, army,
railway, telecommunication, government supply line. When Pakistan could not face
the wrath of the Baloch, the Pakistani general Yahyah Khan ended the one unit
policy. After this when Pakistan was to conduct general election for the first time in
1770, the Baloch people voted for their local parties and brought them to power.
Around that time Pakistan list east Pakistan or Bangladesh as well.
Post separation of Bangladesh, Pakistan was to form a new constitution where the
support of the Baloch elected representatives was needed. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave
all the political rights and power the Baloch demanded by appointing a CM,
empowering different political heads for different regions and acquired their support
in return. Then Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the PM of Pakistan. In 1973, the local
political party of Balochistan, NAP was banned by Pakistan citing anti national
conspiracy. The whole region was deployed by military, thousands of people list their
lives in this process. Guerrilla war once again took its pace in Balochistan.
During 2000, the Balochistan Liberation Army was formed. This was the most
organised army created by the Baloch. When Pakistan along with China built a port
in Gwadar in the Baloch region the matter again went out of hand. Because the
decision was taken without any discussion with the Baloch leaders and instead of
recruiting the local Balochis they had taken people from China and the Punjab in
Pakistan. Other than this, the resources used and taken from the region used to be
shared prominently by between China and Pakistan. The Baloch used to get only a
tip of it. Therefore the BLA started attacking all the infrastructure, major spots,
workers, army deployed in extreme frustration and anger.

In 2018, the whole Baloch groups, small armies, guerrilla gangs, communities came
together and formed a united a body called Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar ( BRAS). This
group made many structured attacks on Pakistan resulting grave damages. This

year the Baloch have created an army called Baloch National Army (BNA), which is
fighting against Pakistan considering itself and individual nation. BNA has conducted
total 72 high-profile attacks in different regions of Pakistan. It looks like two nations
fighting with each other. Recently, in 11 March 2025, the BNA had hijacked a train in
Pakistan. The train, Zaffar express was going from Queta to Peshawar taking about
450 passengers. The BNA had ins installed 8 kg IED bomb in the train track near
Bolanpass. The moment bomb exploded the train was derailed and the BNA army
hijacked the whole train. They kidnapped all the passages except the women,
children and the Baloch community. They demanded the release of their political
prisoners within 48 hours. Pakistan launched operation without releasing the
prisoners and there were war in which many people died from both sides. After this
invidet the situation worsened and Pakistan increased security in the whole region.
Now Pakistan is in dilemma how to deal with the Baloch, through military power, war,
or political dialogue. There are other equation as well like the strategic location of
Balochistan. The Iran and Afghanistan and foreign equations are also getting in
support of Balochistan.

-OdishaAge