I’d like to clarify a few things because, without doing so, what we are discussing can be misinterpreted. First and foremost, Balochistan is not simply a region of Pakistan. It became part of Pakistan through treachery and deceit.
In reality, Balochistan is an occupied territory, illegally taken by force. The deception began when Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was the legal counsel for the Khan of Kalat during negotiations with the British for the state’s independence, betrayed that trust. The Pakistani army later entered Kalat and forced the Khan to sign an accession document, an act of coercion and force.
At that time, Kalat was a constitutional monarchy, and even if the Khan signed under duress, the signature held no legal weight. The decision required parliamentary ratification, which the assembly refused—twice—until it was dissolved. This historical fact explains why Pakistan has consistently treated Balochistan as a colony, with total disregard for the Baloch people. Right from the start, policies were put in place to deny the Baloch even the right to speak their language in schools or on official occasions. Over time, Balochistan became the place where Pakistan hid its dark secrets, where nuclear tests were conducted, and where nuclear weapons are stored.
In Balochistan, there are more military cantonments than hospitals—unsurprisingly, since there are very few hospitals. Over the years, as always happens, people reacted. And this is the fifth time Balochistan has risen in revolt. It started in 2007 when Nawab Akbar Bugti, a leader in his eighties and practically immobilized, was killed by General Musharraf’s men. He was hiding in a cave and accused of leading a rebellion. His body was never returned to his family—only his glasses and wristwatch, which, strangely, were unharmed despite the bombing.
Since then, the uprising has continued. Pakistan’s strategy of extrajudicial killings—murdering people and dumping their tortured bodies in public to intimidate others—has left behind mass graves, which are quickly concealed by the army and its proxies. One of the largest mass graves was found near a private jail owned by a local warlord who, ironically, was running for office.
Thousands of people have disappeared, and Pakistani officials absurdly claim they all either went on shopping trips to Dubai or joined the insurgents in the mountains—though if that were true, there would be a larger army in those mountains than Pakistan’s military.
Things escalated further when China entered the picture. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) marked a turning point. Gwadar, which they plan to turn into a “new Dubai,” has become a playground for the elite, while the Baloch have been excluded from development, denied access to clean water, fishing, and basic freedoms. Gwadar has been severed from the rest of Balochistan, its future shaped by half-military, half-Chinese interests.
The Saindak and Rekodic mines, longstanding Chinese investments in Balochistan, have further exploited the region’s resources. Roads are built only to serve Chinese interests, while open-pit mining, rare mineral smuggling, and environmental devastation go largely unnoticed.
Despite the documented human rights abuses, nobody seems to care. Pakistan enjoys impunity due to global geopolitical considerations, having escaped scrutiny for its long-standing practices of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and suppression of dissent. What is more concerning is that this “Balochistan recipe” has now been applied to other regions in Pakistan—Pashtuns, Sindhis, and even Kashmiris have become targets of the same repressive methods.
While Pakistan publicly claims it wants to “liberate” Indian Kashmir, one can only imagine what that would entail, given its track record. Everyone knows what Pakistan is doing, but the world turns a blind eye, continuing to finance Pakistan under the pretext that it is a victim of terrorism—terrorism that Pakistan itself has bred. In truth, what Pakistan calls terrorism is often just people asking for their rights.
If this were happening in any other part of the world, the victims would be supported by activists and human rights organizations. But the Baloch cause doesn’t fit the global narrative because there is no “white oppressor,” and the indigenous angle is muddied by the fact that Pakistanis are also indigenous to the region.
The only solution is to hold Pakistan accountable under international law, which should apply equally to all states, regardless of their color or ethnicity. Pakistan is a failed state that breeds and uses terrorists. It illegally occupies Balochistan and oppresses the vast majority of its population. Until these issues are addressed, the Balochistan problem will persist.
Introduction: Francesca Marino is an Italian journalist with extensive experience covering South Asia. She is a regular contributor to Limes – Italian Review of Geopolitics and other leading Italian and Swiss media outlets. Recently, she published a book on Balochistan titled Balochistan: Bruised, Battered, and Bloodied. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious Italian Journalism Prize, Il Luigiano d’oro.
