Friday saw an armed attack on Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau’s convoy in Mastung. Langau escaped unhurt, but nine people, including seven security personnel, were injured when unidentified armed men opened fire on his convoy as he travelled from Kalat to Quetta after attending an Independence Day ceremony in his constituency. The attackers, reportedly hiding in orchards, targeted the convoy from both sides. Such an attack on a senior provincial minister cannot be dismissed as an ordinary security incident. Targeting a high-ranking government official requires reconnaissance, planning and an assessment of security arrangements. That the attackers were able to mount such an assault in a province where security has already been heightened because of continuing attacks by the BLA is particularly worrying. Langau has responded defiantly, saying he cannot be intimidated and pledging that the government, police and security agencies will continue operations against elements seeking to undermine peace in the province. He has also accused anti-state elements and their alleged foreign sponsors of pursuing such objectives. These are all understandable and correct assertions. But the battle for Balochistan cannot be won through kinetic means alone.
In this context, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s message to those involved in violence and terrorism to return to the national mainstream and engage in talks with the government is timely. There is an important distinction here. The state must confront terrorism firmly, but it must also recognise that lasting peace requires winning hearts and minds. The grievances of the Baloch people have to be addressed. This has been said before and needs to be repeated: acknowledging legitimate grievances does not amount to condoning terrorism, nor does it diminish the state’s responsibility to protect its citizens. At the same time, the responsibility does not rest with the state alone. Baloch nationalists, including politicians and civil society leaders, have an equally important role in ensuring that the province does not slide towards a wider ethnic conflict. This is becoming particularly urgent since we cannot risk transforming a conflict involving the state and militant groups into a conflict between ethnic communities. Balochistan has historically been home to both Baloch and Pashtun populations, who have co-existed peacefully, with Pashtuns constituting a significant part of the province’s population. A wedge between the two communities could open an entirely new and potentially far more destructive front: ethno-nationalism.
The danger is already visible in the nature of militant violence. Baloch terrorist organisations have promoted an ethno-nationalist narrative against the federation and have targeted labourers based on ethnicity. If this violence is followed by the mobilisation of armed ethnic groups on the other side, Balochistan could be pushed into a cycle of communal insecurity from which it would be extremely difficult to recover. This is why Baloch nationalists must send an unequivocal message of peace and security to all communities in Balochistan while also unequivocally condemning terrorism and making clear that the killing of innocent people in the name of political or ethnic grievances is unacceptable. The state, meanwhile, needs to match its security response with meaningful political engagement and efforts to address genuine grievances. Neither side can afford to leave space for armed groups to exploit alienation, fear and mistrust. Balochistan is not standing at an easy spot right now. The attack on Langau is a clear example of the capacity of terror groups to challenge the state, while the emergence of increasingly ethnic rhetoric risks widening the conflict beyond militancy. The answer cannot be hardening ethnic boundaries or allowing the proliferation of armed groups. What the province needs now is not another ethnic fault line but a united front for peace.
