Fresh approaches required as present course of action has failed to bring peace to Balochistan, KP

[ghazi52]

Editorial: ​

Fresh approaches required as present course of action has failed to bring peace to Balochistan, KP​

A new direction​

Editorial
March 18, 202

WITH the security situation in Balochistan and KP rapidly deteriorating, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership must come up with a new plan to effectively deal with all aspects of the respective insurgencies.

This will be the main focus of today’s meeting of the parliamentary panel on national security. The in-camera huddle will feature the prime minister and army chief, all four chief ministers as well as cabinet members and representatives of political parties.

The threat to national integrity is significant, and this is no time for partisan politics; the state and its institutions must listen to all shades of opinion in order to formulate a holistic counterterrorism and peacebuilding policy.

While the TTP-led terrorist campaign mostly affecting KP has been steadily gaining momentum since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul, the separatist insurgency piloted by the banned BLA now appears to have large parts of Balochistan firmly in its grip.

This shocking reality was brought home by last week’s bloody hijacking of the Jaffar Express, and the subsequent targeting of security men in Noshki. There is a long list of other major and minor terrorist incidents in the province. When the lawmakers, generals and politicians meet in Islamabad behind closed doors today, it is these grave threats to national security that will dominate the agenda.

The easiest course to pursue would be the kinetic response. But while this may temporarily disable violent actors, it will not address the underlying factors that have provided ideological fuel to these insurgencies: poverty, underdevelopment, lack of justice and the resultant alienation from the state. These factors, as highlighted by the non-kinetic dimensions of the National Action Plan, need equal attention.

Of course, securing territory and eliminating threats to peace are prerequisites for any plan to succeed. But unless the civilian arm of the state complements the kinetic dimension of CT operations with political efforts and meaningful development work, the gains in the field will be unsustainable.

Moreover, it is essential that all political forces are included in national CT and peacebuilding efforts. Accusing some parties of being ‘anti-national’ and supporting the militants’ narrative is counterproductive. Helpful critique should be heard with open minds. The present course of action has failed to bring peace to Balochistan and KP, hence fresh approaches are required. Having said that, opposition parties should also refrain from scoring political points, and, instead, bring constructive criticism to the discussion.

The blueprint to contain violence and forge a more peaceful path exists in the shape of NAP. Now, all stakeholders must display the vision and the will to implement the document’s points, combining force where required with political reconciliation in order to bring peace to Balochistan, KP and the rest of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025

 

[ghazi52]

IT is clear that in the midst of a fresh wave of terrorism, particularly after the Jaffar Express hijacking, the state cannot respond to the crisis using conventional approaches.

Both the Baloch separatist insurgency and the TTP campaign of terror are posing existential threats to the nation, and if not handled with alacrity and foresight these violent anti-state movements can do much damage to the country’s integrity. While discussing the details of the Jaffar Express episode last week, the DG ISPR mentioned that if the 14 points of the revised National Action Plan were focused on, “terrorism can be eradicated”. The federal minister of state for interior made similar remarks in the National Assembly.

Editorial: ​

Non-kinetic aspects of National Action Plan cannot be ignored for lasting peace​

While the original NAP was formulated in 2014 after the APS Peshawar atrocity, the plan was revised in 2021, highlighting kinetic and non-kinetic domains of the counterterrorism blueprint. Where the Baloch insurgency and the TTP campaign are concerned, the kinetic aspects of NAP are essential, as a state of insecurity is untenable, and all armed groups that threaten peace must be neutralised.

Yet successive governments, including the current set-up, have not done enough to implement NAP’s non-kinetic measures. These include supporting the reconciliation process in Balochistan, as well as overseeing reforms in KP’s merged areas, which are hardest hit by the TTP insurgency. Unless action in the field is complemented with social, economic and political efforts in the militancy-hit parts of Balochistan and KP, led by the civilian administration, this bloody cycle of violence will continue.

While addressing the briefing along with the DG ISPR, the Balochistan chief minister, referring to the Jaffar Express ambush, said it was an act of terrorism, while dismissing the economic and political grievances behind the violent action. He is only partially right. There is no doubt that the train hijacking was a terrorist act, as innocent people were targeted. The state must therefore go after all those involved in this crime. But the fact is that Balochistan’s socioeconomic misery is undeniable.

Parts of the province live in mediaeval poverty, especially compared to urban centres in other parts of the country. This is despite the fact that the province sits on a treasure of mineral wealth. It is this deprivation, and the lack of political freedom for genuine Baloch leaders, that the terrorists exploit.

Therefore, the non-kinetic aspects of NAP cannot be ignored in order to establish a lasting peace. The reconciliation process, involving those ready to give up their arms should be given a renewed push by political elements from across Pakistan.

Certain red lines are in order — for instance, there can be no compromise on Pakistan’s territorial solidarity and the supremacy of the Constitution. Within these parameters, an organic political process can bring Balochistan back from the abyss.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025