Karachi-based researcher and a Viewpoint contributor, Mohammad Nafees, has prepared a report on the Balochistan situation. The report was commissioned by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS:www.crss.pk). The Viewpoint is serializing this report with author’s and CRSS’s permission
Identification of dead bodies
Except 45 unknown dead bodies, the remaining 65 mostly belonged to Baloch nationalist parties such as BSO-A, BRSO, BRP, BNM, and BNF (Refer to Graph 8). Few of the dead bodies belonged to Punjabi or Urdu speaking settlers and security personnel as well. A common pattern in these acts of killings implies the ongoing conflict between the Baloch seperatists and the law enforcement agencies.
Graph 8
Source: SATP.
Majority of missing persons belonged to local tribes while a few were coalminers, professors, judges, foreigners, traders, security officials and a minister (Graph 9). A majority of them were allegedly kidnapped by the Baloch nationalists. BLA (Baloch Liberation Army), BLF (Baloch Liberation Front), BMDT (Baloch Musalla Defai Tanzeem), BRA (Baloch Republic Army), BLT (Baloch Liberation Tiger), and BSO (Baloch Student Organization) often claimed responsibility for the acts of violence committed against the settlers or the government officials.
Graph 9
Source: SATP.
Identification of missing persons
Data from various sources (Pakistani press, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP), Balochvoive.com, HRCP Report 2011, Wikipedia and SATP) shows that during 2003-2010, deaths from suicide attacks were second highest after deaths in other form of terrorist attacks such as commando-style raids on religious congregations in mosques (mostly those of Shia Muslims) or processions on the roads. In 2011, this situation changed completely. When the body count of missing person emerged as the second major cause of deaths of people in Balochistan (Table 5, updated upto December 20, 2011). Deaths of suicide bombings were very low as compared to terrorist attacks. Mode of militancy, victims of violence, and identification of the victims also changed. It leads one to believe that the separatist movements and their opponents became more active than the religious militants during the year.
Table 5
Source: HRCP report 2011, VFBMP, SATP, and Pakistani media.
Sectarian Violence
The deaths related to sectarianism were the second highest in number after the number of deaths caused by the nationalist militancy during the period starting from 2003 to September 2011. Shia Muslims were the major victims of sectarian attacks and majority of these events occurred in Quetta (237) and Jhal Magsi (36). Although most of the victims were Shia and Sunni Muslims, Hindus also got affected of this violence that forced them to migrate to other parts of the province or the country. There were also some reports indicative of Hindus looking for migration to India. Suicide attacks
were the major cause of deaths (150) followed by fatal attacks (114) and bomb attacks (10). The officially banned organizations, mainly Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, were the ones that often claimed responsibility of such attacks and the minority Hazara community living in the region was the major victim of this violence.
As discussed earlier, the religious and separatist militancy in Balochistan overlaps in such an intricate manner that it becomes a difficult task for the researchers and analysts to find out the real causes behind different incidents of violence. From 2008 onwards, attacks on NATO supplies have also become a regular event in Balochistan besides KPK and FATA. As these attacks are linked with the Taliban led militancy in the country, a look at the NATO related incidents bring up a picture that unveils another aspect of the terrorism in the province. From 2008 to August 2011, Balochistan - and not KPK or FATA - became the focal point of the majority of these attacks (Graph 10). Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Bolan, and Quetta are some of the main districts of Balochistan where most of NATO attacks took place (Graph 11). Dera Bugti is the only place where no NATO related attacks were reported. Interestingly, most of these places are also affected by other types of violence including abductions, suicide attacks, bomb attacks, and dumping of dead bodies (Graph 12). Are the separatists and religious militants co-operating with each other or staying away from each other's areas of activities?
Graph 10
Source: SATP.
Source: SATP.
Source: SATP - Frequency and locations of all violent attacks.
Blame-game
Blame-game seems to be the most convenient escape for all the state and non-state actors involved in the current turmoil.
On 17 March 2011, the Sri Lankan Guardian (http://www.srilankaguardian.org) reproduced a report it received from the Baloch National Voice (BNV), a pro-independence Baloch nationalist organization, which blamed Pakistan intelligence agencies for their involvement in abduction, killing, and dumping of dead bodies of innocent Baloch people. They also blamed Punjabi, Mohajir (Urdu speaking) and Pashtun lobbies for acting as agents of Pakistan Army on a formula “More Baloch more problem, less Baloch less problem and no Baloch no problem”. The report also cited a statement from Rehman Malik, Federal Interior Minister, wherein he said: “Selected killings will be carried out in Balochistan against Baloch freedom seeking forces including BSO-Azaad.”
According to the report, the chief minister of Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani had once told a team of Human Rights Commission that ISI and other Intelligence agencies were directly involved in the abduction of Baloch youth . He had also admitted that the FC was running a parallel government in Balochistan that is out of his government's control. Former federal interior minister Aftab Sherpao had also accepted that at least 4000 Baloch were detained by his government (during General Musharraf's reign 2002-2007).
According to an article written by Lt. Col. Zaheerul Hassan (Retd.), “Greater Balochistan is the top most agenda of U.S., India, and Israel collaboration. There have been concrete evidences of Indian involvement in providing funds and weapons to dissident elements in Balochistan.” Despite all these claims and assertions, no documentary proof could be made public to this date to validate or invalidate such claims.
Intelligence agencies and their supporters call it a foreign conspiracy (or a kind of a proxy war) between intelligence agencies, FC, and provincial law enforcing agencies on the one hand, and the militants backed by the external forces like CIA(US Intelligence), RAW(Indian Intelligence), and Afghan Intelligence on the other. To substantiate this claim, they refer to the US desire for opening a consulate in Quetta. A visit of the US Ambassador, Cameron Munter, to a Pashtun tribal Jirga in Quetta on 28 April 2011 is also quoted as a proof of US interest and involvement in the area. Multiple reasons are offered for American interests and some of them include watching Chinese interests in Gwadar, preparing a ground to strike the outskirts of Quetta on the pretext of hunting the Quetta Shura, and keeping an eye on Iranian activities in the region.
Dr Wahid Baloch, President of Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA) rejected all these blames involving CIA, India, and Israel and regarded them as an attempt to divert the attention of the world community from Pakistan's own committed crimes and human right violations against Baloch people.
Addressing the first Balochistan international conference, organized by Baloch Society of North America at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC, Dr Wahid Baloch asked the UN, USA and the International community to immediately intervene in Balochistan and save the lives of Baloch people in occupied Balochistan, who are in great danger under the Pakistani and Iranian illegal occupation.
In addition to condemning the “killing and dumping” policy of the ISI, the conference also condemned the ongoing intimidation, harassment, and killings of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and other minorities in Pakistan by Pakistani Taliban and Islamic fanatics and extremists. They also condemned the killings of non-Baloch Punjabis and Pashtun in Balochistan and denounced all kinds of violence and terrorism in Balochistan by the state agents and non-state actors. This was the only document from Baloch nationalists that condemn killings of non-Baloch and other religious minorities.
Baloch nationalists also blame Sepah-e-Shohda-e-Balochistan (The Army of the Martyrs of Balochistan), also known as Punjabi Death Squad by the Baloch people, for committing under-custody killings of Baloch political activists. SSB is also suspected to have a covert support from the Pakistan Army.
Another serious blame came from a politician Mir Sadiq Umrani, President of the PPP Balochistan when he accused the JUI-F for running militant camps in Balochistan and termed it a “terrorist party”.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental human rights watchdog that conducts research and advocacy on the issue, released a report that blamed the armed militant groups in Balochistan for killing of many non-Baloch civilians and destroying private property. The attacks on police stations, major gas installations and infrastructures were also regarded as the handwork of these groups. On the abduction, killing, and dumping of dead bodies of Baloch people, HRW suspected involvement of uniformed personnel of the Frontier Corps and the police.Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is on record have rejected allegations that the army, ISI and Military Intelligence are involved in the disappearance of people in Balochistan and murder of activists whose decomposed bodies are found dumped at desolate places. Historically, most of such denials were later proved to be wrong and thus doubts always prevailed as and when such denials are issued. It was one of the reasons that led former prime minister Nawaz Sharif PML-N to counter a similar denial by the Director General of ISI in the recent All Parties Conference in Islamabad (October 2011) by saying, “Why the whole world accused Pakistan [of having links with the terrorist groups like Haqqani network]?”
All stakeholders keep on blaming one another for their role in crimes commited in the region whereas no one admits of having any sort of involvement in these crimes. All these claims of having no dirty hands are indicative of the complexity of the situation that exists in Balochistan. On one side are the rag-tag militants of the Baloch nationalist parties who in pursuit of their rights, commit actions that cost lives and properties of many innocent people. Whereas on the other side is the well-armed and powerful Pakistan Army that continues with its plans to crush the insurgency they consider is a result of the conspiracy being hatched against Pakistan by the foregin forces.
According to the World Bank study, Balochistan offers more government jobs to its people than any other province of the country. Yet, the loyalty of Baloch people remains questionable and they continue raising their flags of separatism every now and then. What is it that leads them to go astray? These are the questions that will be further explored in the next chapter.
