BLA militancy: Myths and reality

There are certain misconceptions about Balochistan Lberation Army’s (BLA) terrorist motivations that are being bruited about these days without highlighting some unpleasant truths. We read and hear commentators pandering to the popular narratives and catechisms riveted on rights issues, missing persons, and economic deprivations that appeal to the polarized sensibilities of domestic audience and the human rights focused foreign audience.

The predilection of the analysts to extrapolate the past experiences in present environment without parsing open the layers of change brought about by the altered geo-political and economic environment brings a lot of confusion to the issue. It is the aim of this article therefore to debunk some of the old myths and misconceptions to present the real context in which this new insurgency is gaining traction. The nature, motivations and the support base of the Baloch separatist militants, the veritable bête noire of the state establishment, needs to be understood before passing judgement on complex dynamics of the insurgency.

Before touching upon those misconceptions, it is essential to understand few facts about the present wave of militancy and terrorism. The tribal repressive structures are used by the tribal leaders i.e Sardars to maintain their stranglehold over the material as well as the natural resources of the area, These Sardars are using the centuries old repressive tribal structures to perpetuate their dominance and view the state and democracy as a threat to their dominance. The coastal belt insurgency of BLF led by Dr Allah Nazar uses sub-nationalism as a tool to keep the state at bay as its reach threatens their political dominance.

They shun political competition and inclusivity as threats to their xenophobic version of nationhood that is primarily vested in ethnicity. This ethnic particularism that is a clear anachronism in this age of democracy, is the main plank that drives their politics and is nourished by the grievance narratives constructed to win over the followers. Blind hate and the economic deprivations are the warp and woof of grievance narrative used by the likes of Allah Nazar Baloch to alienate people from the state. Difficult geography, economic difficulties, and corrupt governance sustain these particularistic narratives playing onto the hands of ethnic separatists.

Now another reality needs to be registered in order to understand the geographically different yet ideologically identical nature of the BLA militancy. The arc of separatist militancy hit areas in Balochistan eerily corresponds to the communications and port infrastructure, defined as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). All the major communication strands from DI Khan-Zhob Mughalkot-Qila Saifullah-Quetta-Khuzdar-Lasbela-Makran that form part of CPEC till its terminus i,e Gwadar are the places where the weight of militancy is directed. It is not difficult to conclude why these areas are chosen as the targets by the sponsors of the insurgency.

The external actors abetting the BLA terrorism include India, and some other foreign powers that view CPEC and Gwadar Port as a threat to their strategic and commercial interests. The role of neighbouring countries in overlooking the cross-border movement and sanctuaries of these separatists is also worth a scrutiny as the safe passage and support bases located in those countries sustain this insurgency beyond its actual capacity to sustain itself. Now let us have a look on the constructed myths and the concomitant realities.

An analyst writing in a national daily recently pointed out that the Bhutto era insurgency of the 70s that could not be quelled through kinetic means was finally settled through a general amnesty to Sardars. The reality is that the back of insurgency had already been broken by the Bhutto government. The actual truth is that the tribal Sardars like Khair Baksh Marri and others who had crossed over to Afghanistan had become a spent force and were being seriously harried and threatened by the Afghans. The Sardars were desperate to come back due to their travails in Afghanistan and therefore latched on to the amnesty offer by General Ziaul Haq. Upon their return they remained quiet for sometime and then again started the same separatist narrative poisoning the young minds of their new generation.

It is also a myth that their new generation was alienated due to state’s excesses and injustices. The new generation took up arms and emulated the example of their predecessors who had crossed over to Afghanistan and other countries due to the ideological poison injected in their minds. The state again coopted the estranged foreign based Sardars and they came back to be a part of the government. Harbiyar Marri was a minister in Balochistan cabinet in 1997 and left Pakistan again when his father and brothers were implicated in the murder of Justice Nawaz Marri. Brahamdagh Bugti who was announced as the heir of Nawab Akbar Bugti was also a truculent tribal leader whose several acts of violence were owned by Nawab Akbar Bugti.

When Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed there were a lot of differences between the Marri and Bugti tribes. Akbar Bugti had taken refuge in a cave in Marri area when the army SSG team went to arrest him. When the team tried to enter the cave the Nawab’s party detonated explosive that led to the collapse of the cave along with SSG casualties and Nawab Akbar’s death. The Bugti tribe however had sub tribes that did not see eye to eye with the Nawab’s oppressive conduct as tribal Sardar and had already started armed struggle against his oppressive legacy. That is one reason the Bugti area is not in the grip of insurgency along with another reason that it is far from CPEC axis.

The narrative and demands of BRA (An umbrella Organization under which have been grouped entities like BLA, BNA, BLF, and LB) leadership are based on separatism and not the Baloch rights, a stance that is nourished by anti-Pakistan and anti-CPEC forces. Pakistan needs a strong kinetic as well as non kinetic response, incorporating the help of people of Balochistan who should be made stakeholders in the counter insurgency operations. Govern well, give jobs and development funds on merit and coopt the pro-federation Baloch in this endeavour. The Baloch will win this war themselves for you.

(The writer is a security and defence analyst and a PhD from NUST:[e-mail])