Baloch Insurgency and the Role of Grievances: An Appraisal

Abstract

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan area wise and smallest population wise. The province has been in chaos for the last couple of decades which has deep rooted causes. The relationship between Balochistan and the central government has remained strained since the inception of the issue of Kalat state's accession. This gave birth to the first insurgency of the Baloch people, which later on continued at regular intervals. The contemporary insurgency is the most violent and longest and is a direct threat to the integrity of the state because the Baloch insurgents are demanding independence from Pakistan, while previously they were demanding provincial autonomy. Current change in their demands is because the grievances of the Baloch peoples have not been fulfilled by the authorities. The insurgents use these grievances of common Baloch for their own agenda to exploit the masses and develop mistrust between the Baloch people and the Pakistani state. The drivers of these agitating grievances have grave consequences on the insurgency in Balochistan. This paper aims to evaluate the Baloch insurgency from the perspective of grievances theory and argues that grievances have played a significant role in this insurgency.