Vishwakhabram: Why and who formed the Balochistan Liberation Army? Is this organization capable of defeating Pakistan Army?

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has been in constant headlines. Ever since he attacked the Jafar Express carrying 440 passengers near the hilly areas of Gudrar and Piru Kunri in Pakistan, everyone in the world wants to know the history of this organization. People also want to know that what is the enmity with the Pakistani Army and the police of this organization that soon after hijacking the train, people associated with Pakistani security forces were brutally murdered? Defense-protection experts and think tanks around the world are churning on how the Balochistan Liberation Army became an organization that could have a daring attack with strategic accuracy? If seen, the way this banned organization is targeting its goals from the beginning of 2024, it is surprising. Various attacks during the last one year have shown that the strategy of this organization is changing rapidly. In Balochistan province, more than 18 attacks have been carried out in a state -of -the -art manner on security forces, sometimes Chinese citizens, sometimes innocent citizens, sometimes in Balochistan.

As far as the fire of rebellion in Balochistan is concerned, many reasons are responsible for it. Local people in Balochistan are fed up with the atrocities of the Government of Pakistan and want to be free like Bangladesh. If seen, the Balochistan Liberation Army was formed to get independence from Pakistan and the kind of hard training they are given to them is surprising and also shows the level of resentment sitting in their mind. The Pashtun community with a population of about 3 crore in Pakistan is fiercely tortured. Incidents of assault with Pashtun people, disappearing them, bad behavior with them and sexual atrocities with their women are common. No matter how strong the Pashtuni people have been standing with Pakistan, the government there considers them a traitor and treats them in the same way. The Sangh administered tribal area also known as Fata, there is often a curfew. Leave the matter of building schools, colleges and hospitals in this area, the houses of the people here are often broken and their goods are captured and they are left to live on the streets. This is the reason that wherever Pashtuns live abroad, they often protest outside the Pakistani Embassy in the capitals there.

Baloch people have been yearning for decades to breathe in open air. Baloch in Pakistan is the biggest crime for them. The Pakistani Army and the police have got licenses to kill Baloch and torture variety. Now China has also joined this game, so people here are angry with China. It is said that the sisters and daughters of Baloch are taken publicly and they are raped for several days. Girls do not go to school and college due to fear. From Pakistan, no foreign journalist or news channel, social worker or foreign representative is allowed to go in the region, so that the truth could never be revealed. There is no place in government jobs for Baloch in Pakistan. Many revolutionary leaders who fought the freedom struggle of Balochistan have been taken hostage by the Pakistan Army, so the protests that were getting there are now provoked and the entire train was taken hostage. If seen, Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects have changed nothing for people, despite the promises of bringing the golden era to Balochistan through projects.

Let us also tell you that Balochistan was recognized as a separate country at the time of independence. It was not a natural part of Pakistan. Pakistan attacked and captured Balochistan. Since then, Balochistan citizens have been raising their voice against the excesses of Pakistan. Now, in view of the way the people of Balochistan have waged a cross-border battle, it will not be a big deal if this region separates from Pakistan and becomes an independent nation. Let us also tell you that 43 percent of the total land of Pakistan is in Balochistan but there is nothing here in the name of facilities. Poverty, lack of development, problem of forced disappearance, people in Balochistan not getting benefits from abundant natural resources and minerals are the harsh realities here, whose governments have been constantly failing to find solutions. If seen, the separatist, rebel movement is not new to this southwest province. Conflicts have been recorded at least four times between the governments/army, the last struggle was between 1973–1977.

As far as today’s form of Balochistan Liberation Army is concerned, let us tell you that in 2006, the BLA, established by Balach Marri, has made major changes since 2017. Let us remind you that Balach Marri, son of Nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, was allegedly killed in Afghanistan by Pakistani security forces in 2007. The BLA then worked under the informal guidance of some tribal leaders, who were not happy with the government. After 2017, the BLA became a powerful force, when its two commanders- Ustad Aslam and Bashir Jeb were excluded by leading to disregard their orders. After this, both of them made their separate groups. And this is the BLA that is now active and it is being run systematically by Bashir pocket. Ustad Aslam was killed by Pakistani security forces in a campaign.

The BLA is believed to have been sympathetic to the common people as Bashir pocket was from a middle class family. Historically, these conflicts were led by nationalist tribal leaders or chieftains, whose tribal people were their main soldiers, but the current struggle includes’ common people -led rebel groups, whose thinking has been affected for many years and they consider state/security forces as their enemies. In addition, many people also blame General Pervez Musharraf for the deteriorating situation in Balochistan. When Musharraf was in power in 2005, a female doctor Shazia Baluch was raped in Sui area when she was working with her husband. He used to work in Pakistan Petroleum Company. Despite the increasing protest over the demand to take action at that time, Musharraf refused and said that the entire incident was coined to embarrass the Pakistan Army. In addition, the tribal leader and former governor and Chief Minister Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and his colleagues were hidden in hill caves in August 2006. At that time Bugti led a large -scale rebellion against the government. After that incident, the BLA became stronger and took advantage of the people with anger and frustration among the people and with financial and strategic support received from foreigners.