Balochistan, Pakistan

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The province of Balochistan (or Baluchistan) in Pakistan contains most of historical Balochistan and is named after the Baloch. Neighbouring regions are Iranian Balochistan to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east. To the south is the Arabian Sea. The principal languages in the province are Baluchi, Pashto, Brahui, and Persian. The capital and largest city is Quetta.

Geography

Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the difficult to define border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km² and composes 42% of the total land area of Pakistan. The population density is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as Makran. A region in the centre of the province is known as Kalat.

The Sulaiman Mountains dominate the northeast corner and the Bolan Pass is a natural route into Afghanistan towards Kandahar. Much of the province south of the Quetta region is sparse desert terrain with pockets of inhabitable towns mostly near rivers and streams.

The capital city is Quetta, located in the most densely populated district in the northeast of the province. Quetta is situated in a river valley near the border with Afghanistan, with a road to Kandahar in the northwest.

At Gwadar on the coast the Pakistani government is currently undertaking a large project with Chinese help to build a large port. This is being done partially to provide the Pakistan Navy with another base, and to reduce Pakistan's reliance on Karachi and Port Qasim, which are currently the only major ports.

Climate

The climate of the upper highlands is characterized by very cold winters and warm summers. Winters of the lower highlands vary from extremely cold in the northern districts to mild conditions closer to the Makran coast. Summers are hot and dry. The arid zones of Chaghi and Kharan districts are extremely hot in summer. The plain areas are also very hot in summer with temperatures rising as high as 120 degrees F (50 degrees C). Winters are mild on the plains with the temperature, never falling below the freezing point. The desert climate is characterized by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable.

Demographics and society

Balochistan has a population of around 7 million inhabitants. The Baloch numerically dominate the south of the province, while the Pashtuns are the majority in and around Quetta and the north. Near the Kalat region and other parts of the region the Brahui are a significant presence, while along the coast various Makrani peoples of mixed origins can be found such as the Meds and small groups of descendents of African slaves known as the Hubshi can also be found. Persian-speaking Dehwars also live in the Kalat region and further west towards the border with Iran. In addition, 769,000 Afghan refugees can be found in the province including Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras.[1] Sindhi farmers have also moved to the more arable lands in the east.

History

Ancient History

Balochistan was the site of the earliest known farming settlements upon the Iranian plateau bordering South Asia, the earliest of which was Mehrgarh dated at 6500 BCE. Pakistani Balochistan corresponds to the ancient Achaemenid province of Gedrosia that would later be invaded by the Greeks.

Balochistan was sparsely populated by various tribes, possibly of Elamo-Dravidian and Indo-Iranian origin, for centuries following the decline of the nearby Harappa-Mohenjo-daro civilisation to the east. Over time, Balochistan was invaded by various Eurasian groups including the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, Mughals, Afghans, and the British. Aryan invasions appear to have led to the eventual demise of the Elamo-Dravidian with the exception of the Brahui who may have arrived much later as did the Balochis themselves. The Balochis began to arrive from their homeland in northern Iran and appear to be an offshoot of the Kurdish tribes that would mainly populate the western end of the Iranian plateau. The Balochi tribes eventually became a sizable group rivalled only by another Iranian group, the Pashtuns, while the Brahuis increasingly came under the cultural influence of the Balochis. Muslim Arab invaders annexed the region during the Abbasid period and conversion to Islam was coupled with the Balochi assimilation of Arab culture as well. Today, many Balochis believe that their origins are Semitic and not Iranian contrary to linguistic and historical evidence. Balochi tradition holds that they left their Aleppo homeland in Syria at some point during the 1st millennium CE and moved to Balochistan, but it appears more likely that the Balochis are an Iranian group who have absorbed some Arab ancestry and cultural traits instead. Balochistan subsequently was dominated by empires based in Iran and Afghanistan as well as the Mughal empire based in India. Ahmed Shah Durrani annexed the region as part of a "greater" Afghanistan. The area would eventually revert to local Balochi control, while parts of the northern regions would continue to be dominated by Pashtun tribes.

British Era

During the period of the British Raj, there were four Princely States in Balochistan: Makran, Kharan, Las Bela and Kalat, the largest and most powerful. During the first few decades of the 20th century it became clear that the British would eventually leave and that India would be partitioned.

Kalat was ruled by Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, who wanted independence rather than possible Pakistani rule. Indeed, the British had given many Princely States the choice of either India, Pakistan or independence during the immediate pre-partition period (though they were worried of having too many independent nations).

There were two devastating earthquakes in Balochistan during the British colonial rule. The 1935 Balochistan Earthquake devasted Quetta. The 1945 Balochistan Earthquake occurred in Makran region and was felt in other regions of South Asia.

Post Independence

When the British eventually gave India (and the newly-created Pakistan) independence in August 1947 Mir Ahmed Yar Khan declared Kalat's independence. Though this was not a Baloch-wide movement, many Baloch chiefs sympathised with the idea.

In April 1948 the Pakistani army was brought in, and Mir Ahmed Yar Khan signed an accession agreement ending Kalat's de facto independence. His brother, Prince Abdul Karim, decided to carry on the struggle. Basing himself in Afghanistan he conducted a guerrilla war against the Pakistani army. However, this eventually failed.

Parts of Balochistan were held by Oman as late as the 1950s, but they were eventually turned over to Pakistan. Included in these areas is the coastal city of Gwadar.

In 1955 the provinces of West Pakistan (excluding areas of Pakistani-hled Kashmir) were amalgamated into one unit. This was resented by many Baloch, as well as other peoples in Pakistan such as the Pashtuns. The One Unit measure was seen as a Punjabi centralising move aimed at removing power from the provinces. This resulted in a Baloch uprising, with several battles between Balochs and the Pakistani army. A guerrilla war continued on into the 1960s, with several large-scale battles in 1964-65. This continued sporadically until the one unit was finally abolished in 1970.

In 1973, Pakistan's ruler Zulfikar Ali Bhutto dismissed Balochistan's provincial government. He said that Soviet guns and ammunition had been being found in Islamabad destined for Balochistan. Bhutto informed US president Richard Nixon of the find.

The Balochs were furious at the move and rose up against the Pakistanis. Eventually around 80,000 Pakistani troops were called in to quell the large uprising. Balochs attacked oil surveyors and cut roads.

The largest confrontation took place in September 1974 when around 15,000 Balochs fought the Pakistani Army, which was armed with planes and helicopters. After three days of fighting the Balochs were running out of ammunition and so withdrew.

After this there was a continued guerrilla war, with some basing themselves in Afghanistan (the Afghan government complied with this and offered some financial support).

In 1977 General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq took over in Pakistan. Announcing victory in Balochistan, he withdrew troops. By this time around 9000 - 10,000 people had died.

Rahimuddin Khan's Reign

The uprising itself had suffered from a lack of direction. Some Baloch wanted independence, others only greater autonomy within Pakistan. Attacks were organised by individual Baloch chiefs, rather than an organised Baloch-wide attack. Also, the Baloch hoped to get the support of the USSR, which never happened. Also, the large Pashtun minority in Balochistan did not take part and were hostile to the idea of an independent Balochistan.

Another Pathan who was hostile to the idea of an independent Balochistan was Rahimuddin Khan, a distinguished Lieutenant General at the time (later General). Soon after Zia's assuming power, Rahimuddin was appointed Martial Law Governor of Balochistan, a position that headed all affairs to do with the province, and thus was, for the Pakistani government, a phenomenally powerful post.

Rahimuddin's unprecedentedly long rule (1978-1984) crushed any armed uprisings within the province with an iron fist. His completely isolating Baloch Sardars from provincial policy was a move that, over time, gained increasing controversy, due to the unheard of nature of Rahimuddin's style of government. Past rulers had tried to appease the feudal lords; Rahimuddin went out of his way to isolate them from any position of provincial power.

This, in retrospect, ultimately led to the most stable period Balochistan has ever witnessed in its short history as a Pakistani province. Economic expansion was also impressive during Rahimuddin's reign.

1990s to Present

Since the 1970s there has been some small-scale violence. The area had been badly affected by fighting and instability in Afghanistan, with arms and refugees flooding the province. Small attacks have occurred against coal-miners and oil prospectors.

In 1998 Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in Balochistan.

Since 2003 Baloch chiefs have once again begun their armed struggle against what they feel as usurping of their rights against the Pakistan Army. Reports of serious clashes involving air power in the area have once again put this place under the news. In January 2006, Indymedia released on its website a 14 minute long amateur video purportedly recorded on March 17 2005 in the town of Dera Bugti, that shows a number of dead bodies including children and signs of mortar shelling. In the video it is alleged that 60 people were killed in the fighting between Baloch nationalists and Pakistani army/security forces that took place that day. A human rights report from the U.S. State Department, states that 10 civilians were killed and more than 80 wounded in security force attacks on militants over two days at the end of December 2005. Gas plants, electricity lines and railway tracks have been attacked by the separatists.[2] A bomb explosion killed 13 people on a bus near Quetta on February 5th. No groups claimed of responsibility for the attack. [3]

On 9 March 2006, an anti-tank landmine exploded in Dera Bugti, Balochistan. A tractor pulling a trailer of wedding guests hit the landmine killing 26 people. "Most of the dead are women and children. Seven people were injured," said Raziq Bugti, a government spokesman. He explained that the vigour of the blast indicates that "there could have been more than one land mine but we have not confirmed that at this stage". Though officials blame tribal separatists, no group has claimed responsibility. Kazim Bugti, elected administrator for the region, had recently stated that both tribal rebels and security forces have planted landmines in the area.[4] Shahid Gul Yusufzai of Reuters writes, "Many Pakistanis -- alarmed that security forces are battling their own countrymen -- have criticised the government's handling of the Baluchistan trouble, saying the problem should be tackled through negotiations." The government said India and Afghan drug lords meddle in Baluchistan.[5] But Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti - the major tribal leader of the Baloch resistence movement - denied India's involvement in Balochistan. [6]

Much of the violence is believed to be the work of an organized Balochistan guerilla force named the "Baloch Liberation Army" which has claimed responsibility for most of the sabotage. The Pakistani government had declared it as a terrorist outfit and had also requested the United States government to do the same, the latter refusing to follow suit.

Administrative division

There are 26 districts in Balochistan.

Economy

The economy of the province is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and minerals. The province's natural resources significantly help to meet the energy needs of Pakistan as a whole, but mainly benefit Pashtun mine workers as opposed to the more nomadic Baluch. Infrastructure outside of Quetta is still in development as is the province as a whole. Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations.

Due to the tribal lifestyle of many Baluch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important as are trading bazaars found throughout the province.

Though the province remains underdeveloped, changes are coming as plans for pipelines running from Iran to India as well Central Asian pipelines are all envisioned to be built in Balochistan.

Education

There are five main public universities in Balochistan, but there many private also in setting up to deliver the increasing demands for the province.

Social issues

The delicate ethnic balance in the province was disrupted by Afghan refugees making the Pashtuns at least numerically equal to the Baloch in recent years. The Baloch tribes have been the most prone to rebellion in Pakistan, in part due to their fiercely independent lifestyle as well as complaints at the lack of development and attention from the central government in Islamabad. These complaints have been partially addressed as the government has set-up schools and improved infrastructure near major settlements. Balochistan remains one of the most conservative provinces in Pakistan and women are expected to wear the hijab unlike in many large cities where there are fewer restrictions. The Baloch adhere to a clan-like structure and code of honor called mayar that bears some resemblance to Pashtunwali, but with significant differences including the Baloch hierarchy and allegiance to Sardars and subordinate Waderas, both tribal chieftains, that the more individualistic and egalitarian Pashtuns lack. The Sardars remain prominent in the province thanks in part to the British who boosted their authority.

Due to the nature of Pakistan's parliamentary-style government, political power is often shared at various levels and the recent election of the Balochistan-born Zafarullah Khan Jamali to the post of Prime Minister is an indication of the growing role of the province in national affairs.

Personalities

Pre-Independence (pre-1947)

Post-Independence (post-1947)

External links

Official

Unofficial

Insurgency in Balochistan

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