Islamabad, March 7 (NationPress) The situation in Pakistan's Balochistan province reveals more than just a localized crisis; it highlights the inherent weaknesses within the Pakistani government and reflects the dangers of using military force to manage politics.

By framing Balochistan merely as a security issue, Islamabad’s strategy is turning out to be myopic. Peaceful protests—ranging from the marches of families searching for their missing loved ones to student-led demonstrations—are being quelled through arrests, media suppression, and intimidation, as a recent report indicates.

“Balochistan is not merely descending into chaos; it is being systematically marginalized from Pakistan’s political landscape. In recent years, Islamabad has substituted governance with military oversight, transforming a deep political crisis into what they portray as a technical security matter. The ongoing minimization of military fatalities, continuous allegations of enforced disappearances, and the collective stigmatization of the Baloch population are not incidental; they represent a calculated strategy for dominance,” wrote Dimitra Staikou, a Greek commentator, in her piece for ‘Eurasia Review’.

“As long as the Pakistani state fails to recognize the political and social underpinnings of the insurgency, it exacerbates feelings of alienation and justifies fracture from the perspective of local communities. If this course persists, Balochistan may follow a familiar historical trajectory—from being labeled an ‘internal security concern’ to experiencing violent secession—a repeat of the Bangladesh scenario, driven by Islamabad’s own decisions,” she cautioned.

Staikou pointed out that the Balochistan insurgency is neither recent nor predominantly shaped by external influences; it is a continuation of a conflict that began following the province’s integration into Pakistan in 1948.

“Since that time, Baloch communities have consistently asserted that they are deprived of political autonomy, economic engagement, and authority over their natural resources. Their demands have been met with a primarily military response. Aggressive security measures, extensive troop deployments, and rampant accusations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have entrenched a cycle of violence,” she emphasized.

The report further stated that every Pakistani military operation branded as “restoring order” only serves to reinforce perceptions of occupation, thereby fueling recruitment into separatist factions such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The long-standing conflict in Balochistan has now taken on significant economic and geopolitical implications, Staikou noted.

“Balochistan is pivotal to China’s investments in Pakistan via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and it is also vital to Islamabad’s recent strategies to attract US investments in the mining sector. The province's extensive deposits of copper, gold, coal, and gas play a central role in Pakistan’s narrative of economic recovery. However, the state struggles to ensure even minimal security for heavily protected infrastructure projects. Ongoing assaults indicate that militarization has failed to establish lasting stability,” the report pointed out.

“As long as the military leadership in Pakistan favors image crafting over addressing the truth, Balochistan will continue to be an open wound—not just for its residents or for Pakistan’s future, but for an international system that can no longer afford to regard such crises as isolated and without global ramifications.”