Pakistan’s forgotten genocide If Gaza deserves attention, so does Baluchistan First Post 31 Dec 2025
https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/pakistans-forgotten-genocide-if-gaza-deserves-attention-so-does-balochistan-13964441.html
Pakistan’s forgotten genocide: If Gaza deserves attention, so does Baluchistan First Post 31 Dec 2025
A monthly report compiled by the Human Rights council of Baluchistan mentions that this year alone there have been almost 1300 enforced disappearances, carried out by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and the army. It adds that, in addition, around 550 innocents have been killed in custodial deaths, extrajudicial executions, fake encounters and targeted attacks by state-backed death squads. The document covers names, dates, places and nature of each incident.
The report also mentions that a systematic pattern of violence including military action, communication blackouts as also crackdowns on activists and peaceful protesters is ongoing. It paints a grim picture of repression of innocents. Pakistan courts have regularly asked the Frontier Corps to produce missing Baloch but to no avail. Not one security person has ever been charged for atrocities committed.
A statement submitted to the UN General Assembly by ‘The International Humanitarian Society for Development Without Borders’ in Apr mentions, ‘Pakistan’s policies in Baluchistan amount to crimes against humanity. Entire villages have been razed to the ground, families displaced, and thousands of Baloch citizens have been forcibly disappeared. Extrajudicial killings have become a daily reality, with bodies of victims routinely found in mass graves or dumped in remote areas. The Pakistani military, paramilitary forces, and intelligence agencies operate with complete impunity, perpetuating a climate of fear and silence.’ Yet the world remains a mute spectator.
Baluchistan was annexed by Pakistan in 1948 by military intervention. The region was compelled to capitulate. Since then, five insurgencies have occurred, each bloodier than the last. The current phase of the uprising, ongoing since 2005, is the deadliest forcing the Pak army onto the backfoot. Not a single day goes through without reports of losses of Pak troops. The uprising is a fallout of Pakistan’s atrocities on locals as also its exploitation of the region.
Baluchistan is Pakistan’s largest and most resource rich province as also its least developed. Amongst its resources is the Sui Gas Fields, one of Pakistan’s largest. It fuels households and industries across Pakistan, except in Baluchistan, where people still use wood for household needs with electricity being rare. Reko Dik is believed to be one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold mine. The US Export-Import Bank recently provided Pakistan with a USD 1.25 billion loan for its development, produce of which will be shared with the US.
Another mine, run by the Chinese, extracting copper and gold is the Saindak mine. Gwadar, the hub of the CPEC, is in Baluchistan and under Chinese control. Local fishermen are banned from fishing in waters close to Gwadar as also their livelihood is threatened by Chinese deep-sea trawlers. Baluchistan remains Pakistan’s poorest province with highest unemployment rate (33%). Its resources are extracted and its people exploited. It is to safeguard their territory from further exploitation that the Baluch are forced to act.
Major groups fighting for the freedom of Baluchistan include the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), Baluchistan Liberation front and the Baluchistan Republican Guard. These operate under a common umbrella termed the Baloch Raaji Aajohi Sangar (BRAS). They largely target Pak security forces, government officials, Chinese nationals and CPEC projects by suicide attacks, ambushes, hijacking and capturing government assets. In return, innocents are killed by the Pak army.
China has been unhappy with Pak handling of the Baluch movement. Incidents in the recent past have raised concerns on the security of the CPEC. It has added to cost as China has been compelled to hire security personnel for protection of their nationals employed in different projects. Pakistan has also raised two divisions known as Special Security Divisions South and North for securing Chinese workers employed on CPEC projects. Yet attacks continue.
The world largely maintains silence on Pak atrocities in Baluchistan, despite being aware of them. This is partially because of information blackout in the region as also because Pakistan has pushed nations, including the US and UK, to term the BLA as a terrorist organization.
Another reason is that demands for a ‘free Baluchistan’ impacts three countries, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Hence, there is a concern that supporting the movement in Pak would instigate similar uprisings in others, though the armed struggle remains confined to Pakistan. Finally, the suffering of the people does not impact major global powers as visibility is low. Hence what happens within, remains within.
Thus, world support is restricted and people continue to die. Human rights bodies and the UN regularly raise their concerns, when sessions are ongoing, but these do not translate into diplomatic pressure. It results in Pakistan continuing its genocide with little concern.
The Baloch have been requesting for global support but the same is not forthcoming. Their diaspora protests against the Pak army and ongoing atrocities outside different UN HQs, but are ignored. If figures of casualties over the years are taken into account, they could be almost what Gaza has gone through in recent times, however, isolation of Baluchistan works against it.
With the world ignoring them, the Baloch have begun turning to India for support. In 2016, PM Modi raised the subject in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Since then, there was general silence. However, there has been a marked change this year, especially post Operation Sindoor.
In the SCO defence minister’s summit in Jun this year, India refused to endorse the joint statement because it condemned Baloch insurgent strikes, ignoring Pahalgam. India also raised its concerns on the ongoing genocide in Baluchistan at the UN General Assembly session in Sept. The Indian representative accused Pak of committing ‘atrocities’ and ‘genocidal campaigns’ against its own citizens in Baluchistan as also employing air power against them.
In May 2025, Baloch nationalist leaders, symbolically declared the formation of the ‘Republic of Baluchistan,’ appealed to the UN for recognition and India for diplomatic support. Last week it declared recognition of Israel, post Israel recognizing Somaliland, adding to anger within Pak.
While this is a start, there is a lot which can be done by India. New Delhi must consider providing political, diplomatic and moral support to the Baloch. After all, Pakistan officially claims it is providing the same to Kashmiris, while in reality it supports terrorist groups against India.
India is also the nation with requisite diplomatic clout which can raise awareness with western powers of the ongoing genocide, compelling them to push Pakistan to stop its military atrocities. The people of Baluchistan are as important as those of Gaza or other trouble spots in the world where brutal suppression is ongoing. They deserve to be protected, voices against killings of innocents raised forcefully and Pak sanctioned if it does not act.