The august 25/26, 2024 massacre where armed man killed more than dozens of people in attacks on Quetta Taftan highway Balochistan, perpetrated by terrorists, has sparked intense debate among both government authorities and the public. It was started with execution style killing of 23 travelers in Musakhail District in the Northeast of Balochistan province of Pakistan, followed by the terrorist blew up railway bridge in Bolan previously known as Kachhi, setting more than 23 vehicles on fire at a levies station in Mastung, a town that serves as headquarter of mustang district in Balochistan consequently leading to the death of more than 70 innocent individuals including civilians, levies officials and security personals. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took the responsibility for this.
This is the second attack of this year. An attack of the same nature held in April, where nine passengers were offloaded from a bus near Balochistan’s Noshki city and were shot dead after armed men checked their ID cards. Deputy Commissioner of police Habibullah Musakhel said that the armed men had set up a blockade, then stopped the bus and checked the passengers’ ID cards. They then took nine people with them, all from the eastern Punjab province, and fled into the mountains. Police then later recovered nine bodies under a bridge about five kilometers from the highway. One of the Passenger Sajjad Ahmed in an associated press said there were approximately 70 people in total on the bus. Men with covered their faces stopped the bus near the city of Nushki, took away nine people and told the driver to continue the journey. “We heard the armed men open fire on those people as we drove away, we heard firing. The driver took the bus to the closest police station. We didn’t know if those people were alive or not.” He
spoke.
All in all, these attacks are not new in history in fact they have become regular as clockwork, like a daily ritual. The government officials are doing little more than paying lip service, offering empty words of condemnation. Instead, the actual focus should be on tackling the root cause and finding lasting solution for these genocidal events. Many are attributing the root cause of these to the longstanding neglect of the educational and economic demands of the Baloch people, more prominently of the control of resources and the autonomy of Balochistan. However, I believe that the reasons behind this horrific act are far more complex and are likely tied to deeper grievances, particularly concerning the unresolved issue of enforced disappearances and the lack of justice for the affected families.
For years, countless Baloch individuals have gone missing, often without any trace or explanation. The main organizer of the Baloch long march against enforced disappearances, Mahrang Baloch has said that around 12 people have recently this year been forcibly disappeared from Balochistan despite the protestors’ march to the capital. “This is an ongoing crisis,” she said. “On top of all this, the way we were treated in Islamabad, there is still no inquiry being done about that.” The loved ones of these missing persons have tirelessly sought answers and justice, yet their cries have largely been heard by the deaf ears within government and defense agencies. This continues neglect and failure to provide answers or accountability have fostered a profound sense of frustration, anger, and despair within the Baloch community. Many in the region feel abandoned and marginalized, their concerns ignored, and their pleas for justice dismissed. In January 2024 a report was issued by the commission on the order of the apex court which reviled shocking statistics of missing persons or forced disappearance. According to the commission report in Balochistan, 2,752 cases of enforced disappearance were lodged in 2011. The Amnesty International in its public statement in 2020 also addressed the issue of forced disappearance in Balochistan. it was reiterated in the statement that unlawful practice of enforced disappearances violates multiple rights including but not limited to right to liberty, security, and life—are a form of terror against individuals, families, and entire communities, and are considered a crime against humanity under international law. Despite a 2014 ruling by Pakistan’s Supreme Court recognizing enforced disappearances as a crime against humanity and a violation of constitutional rights, the practice still persists, with Pakistan failing to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The impact of these forced disappearances is beyond the violation of human rights, it is causing severe emotional and economic impact on the families of the disappeared, face significant hardships often engage in public protests and legal battles but face obstacles and harassment, even the caretaker Prime Minister called the protesters as terrorist sympathizers which is huge, biased statement by the head of the Government.
The recent massacre could possibly be viewed as a desperate act of revenge or a grim message to those in power. It may serve as a stark reminder that the Baloch people, too, have the capability to inflict harm in response to the continuous harm they perceive has been done to them highlighting the severity of their unresolved grievances. As stated by Veteran political leader and human rights activist Afrasiab Khattak echoes Jahangir’s thoughts, in a discussion to the voicepk: “This did not start on August 26; it goes all the way back to the problematic merger of Kalat nearly 80 years ago. This is the fifth uprising by the Baloch since 1948. Their original demands were for provincial autonomy and control of resources, for their own identity, in essence. These demands still stand today, aggregated with newer concerns, and a deep-seated resentment for being denied of it all in the first place”.
However, evidently two wrong cannot make a right, especially when the real victims of these terrorist attacks are the innocent civilians on both sides—those who are brutally Murdered and dumped, forcefully disappeared, killed & burnt and left on highway, targeted solely for their ethnicity, with no part in these conflicts. It is becoming a violence of people against people and an ethnic rift that is far more dangerous. When ordinary people, who suffer from these events, begin to take the law into their own hands—just as militant groups do—it escalates the danger to an even greater level. These violent and terrorist attacks are in no way justified by the Baloch people or by Baloch rights activists too, who are dedicated to peaceful protest and have no ties to militant groups or their actions. It is crucial to clarify that these acts of terrorism are entirely separate from the efforts of peaceful advocates for Baloch rights, who have consistently condemned such violence, understanding that no positive outcome can arise from it. Such violent actions, while unjustifiable, are indicative of a deeper crisis rooted in the lack of trust between the Baloch people and the state, fueled by the government’s failure to address the issue of missing persons. This crisis will only continue to increase unless there is a sincere effort to thorough investigate the enforced disappearances with transparency, deliver justice to the families, and build meaningful dialogue between the state and the Baloch community. The cycle of violence and retaliation is unlikely to end until the government acknowledges and addresses these core issues, providing closure and healing to those who have suffered for far too long. Otherwise the consequences can go beyond the August, 26 tragedy and not only fuel the protests, chaos and hatred among the people of Pakistan particularly between the Baloch people and the community of Punjab but also risk deepening the sense of alienation and animosity among the Baloch people, potentially worsening to calls for the separation of Balochistan from Pakistan if taken lightly.Because apparently the issues facing Balochistan today echo many of the causes that led to the separation of East from West Pakistan in 1971. Much like Bangladesh, Balochistan suffers from economic disparities and political exclusion. Despite Balochistan’s significant contribution to the national economy, particularly through its abundant natural resources, including gas, the region allegedly receives a disproportionately small share of economic benefits and investments. The Baloch people feel neglected, particularly on the issues such as forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings even after peaceful protests. The people of Balochistan argue that they do not have control over their own resources and see little profit from the exploitation of these resources, leading to heightened demands for greater autonomy. Consequently, if these issues and grievances of Baloch people are not addressed properly through meaningful dialogue and solutions, there is a significant risk of growing chaos and a broader push for independence, mirroring the situation in East Pakistan that ultimately resulted in the creation
of Bangladesh. Balochistan could eventually pursue separation from Pakistan, much like Bangladesh did in the past. Should this occur, it could result in another significant division of Pakistan, potentially leading to a further fragmentation of the country, with potentially severe repercussions for national stability. By turning a blind eye to these disappearances and the human suffering they cause, the government and defense agencies are, in effect, contributing to an environment of fear, mistrust, and hostility and further fueling it. To prevent further bloodshed and ensure lasting peace, it is imperative that they take immediate and transparent actions to address the grievances of the Baloch people and ensure justice for those who have been wronged.
Author : Zakra Noor (Law Graduate)
Also read: Violation of Right to Freedom of Speech in Balochistan | Article 19 Constitution of Pakistan
