Intrastate Conflicts and Development Strategies: The Baloch Insurgency in Pakistan

Abstract

Intrastate conflicts have been endemic in Pakistan since its independence in 1947. The most disastrous for the country was the civil war in former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The concentration of political power and government-initiated programs and investments in the western part of the country and the increasing regional disparities led to the alienation and resentment of the people in the eastern part. The triggers for the intrastate conflict were the unwillingness of the military regime to hand over power to the democratically elected leader from East Pakistan and long periods of military rule that deprived the country of democratic mechanisms to reconcile political and economic differences. Another long-simmering intrastate conflict in Pakistan is Balochistan—the largest province of the federation in area and the smallest in population. The demand of the local Baloch population for regional autonomy, their resentment at the slow pace of provincial economic development, the influx of people from other provinces, and the exploitation of the extensive natural resources of the province without equitable distribution of benefits have led to political and social tensions and the insurgency. Four waves of violent unrest took place during 1948, 1958–1959, 1962–1963, and 1973–1977. In early 2005, tensions in Balochistan again increased, with numerous clashes reported between security forces and the Baloch tribesmen.