The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is in the news again after its fighters seized the Jaffar Express and took hundreds hostage in Pakistan's Bolan on Tuesday. Pakistan's security forces are in the middle of a rescue operation and claimed to have eliminated at least 30 insurgents involved in the hijack.
While the BLA fighters had earlier released several women, children and local Baloch citizens, the condition of at least 200 passengers remains unknown. The Pakistan government claimed that the separatist group were using civilians as human shields and had positioned suicide bombers near hostages.
Declared a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2021, the separatist BLA has been active in the resource-rich Balochistan province for decades. Although it had lost its connection with locals after the fall of the Soviet Union, it has managed to win back the attention of the province's younger generation recently. The "armed revolutionaries" preach that Baluch is being exploited sans giving the locals its share of benefits and the economic crisis in the country has attracted people towards the extremist group.
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They have stepped up attacks on Pakistani security forces in the province and have particularly targeted Islamabad's ambitious multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Some of their recent activities include the murder of nine Punjabi bus passengers in Noshki, the attack on the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) oil and gas exploration site in the Kalat district, the assassination of the deputy commissioner of Panjgur and the bombing of a Chinese convoy outside the Karachi airport among many others.
Soviet Union and India: The early villains
Historically, Pakistan has accused India of fuelling separatist movements in Balochistan. In his book, My Enemy's Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the Soviet Invasion to the US Withdrawal' author Avinash Paliwal declared junior Indian intelligence officials as confirming that, "we gave Baloch everything, from money to guns, during the 1970s, everything".
Pakistan's supporting Afghanistan during the communist invasion forced Russia to grow separatism in the province. Baloch militias received training in Moscow as a part of the Soviet agenda to weaken Pakistan internally. However, in the post-Cold War era, India has been doing the same, Pakistan alleges.
Baloch rebels and Pakistan's accusations against India
According to a report published by the Journal of Law & Social Studies (JLSS) in 2023, Pakistan is positive that the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in not just the formation of BLA, but other Baluch separatist groups like the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) in the 1960s and the Baloch Republican Army(BRA) 2000s. Just like the Soviets, Islamabad holds India responsible for providing training to Baloch insurgents.
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India not only funded their operations but also supplied arms the JLSS report titled 'A Historical Examination of Raw's Funding of Baloch Insurgents and its Representation in Pakistani Media' said. "All types of weapons and logistic support were provided by India, through the areas of Kishangarh and Shahgarh to the Pakistani side. This all was assisted by RAW. The training camps were increased from 45 to 55 with 300 trainees. These insurgents were also paid in Dollars monthly or after some successful operation," it states. "A number of youths picked up by Russians and Indians to make these insurgencies faster. Weapons were firstly supplied by Russia through Afghanistan. But later, India opened its way," it added.
After Bangladesh's liberation, India turned its focus to Baloch, deploying several RAW agents and sources in the province, Pakistan maintains.
"After the separation of East Pakistan, India's interference in the region continued, with RAW allegedly coming closer to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and training its members."
Instances linking India to Baloch insurgency
Balaach Pardili, a senior leader of Baloch rebels has been living in New Delhi for over a decade now. In 2015, Pardili reportedly made a public appearance which angered the neighbour. "India has always been home to persecuted people from all over the world," the MEA had reacted while confirming the rolling red carpet to confidants of Baloch leader Nawabzada Hyrbyair Marri.
India is a known destination for medical aid for senior Baloch separatists. Senior commanders of the groups had sought hospitalisation in New Delhi as late as 2017.
It is also confirmed that efforts were made by some activists to establish a Government-in-exile for Balochistan in India.
ISI and arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav
The arrest of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav needs special mention in this context. Jadhav, who was captured by ISI from Iran and brought illegally to Pakistan, was framed for spying for India and given a death sentence. However, India appealed to the International Court of Justice to stay his execution. The ICJ stayed the execution on July 17, 2019, and ordered Pakistan to provide India with consular access.
Pakistan accused Jadhav of financing various separatist groups including those based in Baluchistan "Jadhav claimed to have started working for RAW in 2001 and was inducted to sabotage the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," the JLSS report said.