View from ‘Dawn’: Pakistan’s old, discredited policies have fuelled Baloch insurgency

Over the past decades, militancy in Pakistan has evolved into a hydra-headed monster. On Friday, a major achievement against one of these threats came to the fore when the Inter-Services Public Relations announced the arrest of Baloch separatist commander Gulzar Imam who was “apprehended after an innovatively conceived, carefully planned and meticulously executed operation”.

Imam is considered among the most influential leaders of the insurgency in Balochistan; he is also said to have been instrumental in forging an operational alliance of several separatist outfits. His arrest, therefore, has the potential of significantly weakening the insurgency which is already riven with factionalism; reportedly, some separatists themselves played a role in Imam’s capture.

But, howsoever important, this is but a tactical victory. The battle is far from over. Unless the state addresses the reasons why insurgencies have repeatedly arisen in Balochistan throughout Pakistan’s existence, one may be certain the separatist movement will continue to find ready recruits.

This year is the 75th anniversary of Kalat’s accession to Pakistan; while the move had its detractors, many also believed it would bring progress to what has long been a deprived part of the subcontinent. However, the intervening years have seen resource-rich Balochistan being treated with neocolonial disdain, useful only for...

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