Pakistan cracksdown on Balochi protesters

The provincial government and protesters traded blame on Monday over who was responsible for the outbreak of violence in Gwadar’s Baloch Rajee Muchi (Baloch National Gathering) called by Baloch Yakjethi Committee (BYC), a civil society group, led by Baloch women on July 28th to highlight human rights violations and forced disappearances by the Pakistan army against Baloch activists and civilians.

The provincial government resumed fencing off the port city Gwadar to protect Chinese nationals and projects which were facing a potential security threat due to the rise in armed actions of Baloch resistance groups. Fencing off Gwadar city was perceived as turning the commercially important area into a military garrison denying common people access to Gwadar. Gwadar is a key port of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the termination of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the biggest BRI projects. CPEC also connects China’s Uyghur majority Xinjiang province to the Indian Ocean at Gwadar through highways that run through Gilgit Baltistan and areas which are disputed by India-China-Pakistan. Gwadar is strategically essential to China given its proximity to the Persian gulf, China believes that incase of conflict with India or the Quad, it can use Gwadar to bypass at least a part of its shipping through the Indian Ocean.

The Baloch people have been divided between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan since 1947. Most Baloch provinces consider Pakistan’s annexation of parts of Balochistan illegal and strive for independence. Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by land, is a very important source of minerals and natural resources and strategically important due to its position on the Arabian Ocean as well as its borders with Iran and Afghanistan. It is also Pakistan’s most sparsely populated province and Pakistan has controlled access to Balochistan to keep it in check. The Pakistani army has failed repeatedly and Baloch separatist groups have killed Chinese nationals deputed to implement BRI projects causing much tension in Beijing.

The Pakistani army has also been accused of resorting to slave labor, forcing Baloch men to work for no or very little pay to construct projects as well as attempting ethnic replacement by bringing in workers from Pakistani punjab. Pakistan’s army and secret services are Punjabi dominated.

Dr. Maharang Baloch, leader of BYC, who had pioneered a civilian protest of Baloch people in Islamabad earlier this year, called for the Baloch people to gather in Gwadar on July 28 and peacefully demonstrate against the atrocities of Pakistani security forces as well as China’s exploitative measures in Balochistan under the garb of mega-projects. Between China and Pakistan Balochistan’s natural wealth is being exploited, its people are kept away from their own cities such as Gwadar under the excuse of security and the environment is being devastated given China’s poor record of environmental conservation. The Pakistani army, in its desperation to demonstrate control to its Chinese partners, engages in forced disappearances of civilians and activists, extra-judicial killings, torture and human rights violations. Balochistan has become an open air prison and the peaceful protests were a way of expressing dissent against the provincial government and Islamabad’s repression.

Despite the Pakistani army’s attempts at blocking highways and massive deployment of troops, thousands managed to reach Gwadar for the peaceful sit-in and protests, while thousands were stalled at places such as Mustang, Quetta, Turbat and Talar Zero Point. Police opened fire on unarmed protesters traveling to Gwadar in Quetta, injuring 14 people including women and children, while the group traveling from Karachi was attacked by a police charge while entering Balochistan from Sindh, injuring mainly women and children.

While Pakistan’s government is responsible for the inhumane treatment of the Baloch people, including genocide, forced disappearances, China is ultimately responsible for the repression of Balochistan. The dark side of the BRI is the abject failure of Gwadar as a port and China is unable to admit this failure. Pakistan’s army is only trying to deliver China’s demands, at the cost of the freedom and survival of the baloch people.