Why is Balochistan troubled?

Baluchistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west and the Arabian Sea to the south. This province also has the world's deepest seaport, Gwadar. It occupies 44 percent of the total land area of ​​Pakistan. However, the number of Balochistan residents is only 6 percent in Pakistan's approximately 250 million population. This province has only 5 percent of arable land . But here agriculture and animal husbandry only contribute 47 percent to the economy of the entire province .

'Baluchistan' means - 'land of the Baloch'. Baloch is the largest ethnic group, followed by Pashtuns. The Baloch live in Pakistan's neighboring Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan and Afghanistan. Balochistan is the richest province of Pakistan in terms of gas, minerals and other natural resources .

A large part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar project with Chinese investment, falls in this province. The port built in the city of Gwadar near the Gulf of Oman is considered an important point in the project which is part of the "Belt and Road" of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is also involved in various mining projects in Balochistan and the construction of an international airport in Gwadar. But Pakistani Extremist groups have been opposing Chinese investment. Canadian mining company Barrick Gold owns a 50 percent stake in Ray's Dik mine in Balochistan. It is one of the world's largest mines for copper and gold.

Local groups from Pakistan and Iran have been fighting for the autonomy of Baluchistan for a long time. Tension between the two countries increased after Iran attacked Pakistan earlier this year. After the attack killed two children in Pakistan, Pakistan launched a missile attack on Iranian territory.

Iran reported that 9 people were killed in the Pakistani attack. In that attack, Iran claimed that it had targeted the extremist group 'Jaish Al-Adal', active against it, and Pakistan said that it had attacked the bases of the terrorist groups 'Balochistan Liberation Army' (BLA) and 'Balochistan Liberation Front' (BLF).

Lately, BLA, BLF and other separatist rebel groups fighting for the autonomy of Balochistan have intensified their attacks on Punjabi and Sindh communities working in Balochistan. Accusing them of exploiting Balochistan's natural resources and taking sole advantage, those groups have also targeted foreign energy companies. The group has been attacking Pakistani security agencies, foreign workers, government employees and journalists since 2011.

The BLF, which was established in Syria in 1964, was initially involved in the Iranian Baloch rebellion. The Iranian Baloch revolted against the government there . After five years of conflict, the ongoing rebellion against the Shah of Iran ended through negotiations. After that, BLF along with other Baloch groups became active against the Pakistan government . These organizations have been active in Afghanistan for more than five decades.

Lately, these groups (especially BLA) have been continuously attacking several government structures including police stations and security personnel camps. BLA gunmen killed 22 people on Sunday night. They took people out of buses and trucks on the highway and shot them while checking their IDs, the BBC reported. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqivi has stated that at least 12 people were killed in various places in the attack of government security personnel.

BLA has taken responsibility for the incident in Musakhel district. According to local official Najibullah Kakar, 30 to 40 fighters were involved in the incident. He said that the armed group separated the people of Punjab province and set fire to the vehicles while checking their identity cards.

'They stopped 22 vehicles . They checked the vehicles coming from Punjab and going to Punjab and identified the people from Punjab and shot them,” he told news agency AFP . Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the incident. He termed the incident as a 'terrorist attack'.

Similarly, BLA gunmen have killed 9 people in Kalat district. Among those killed are four police officers and five passengers. Six people were killed in another attack in Gwadar city. The BLA destroyed a railway track in Bolan district and attacked a police post in Mastung district.

BLA issued a statement saying that they killed 112 soldiers who traveled in the guise of civilians. Before the incident, BLA had warned the common people of Balochistan not to travel on the highway. The BLA has said that its struggle is against the Pakistani army occupying Balochistan. "We have taken control of all the main highways in Balochistan and stopped them," the BLA said.

Earlier last April, 9 passengers of a bus were taken out and shot dead while checking their identity cards in Balochistan. BLA, a rebel group that challenges the power of Pakistan, has been declared a 'terrorist organization' by many western countries, including the US and the UK.

(with the help of agency)