Why are the people of Punjab the target of the Balochistan Liberation Army in Pakistan? Click here to learn the reason

The demand for independence in Balochistan is now gaining momentum in Pakistan. On Monday, many people lost their lives in attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in different parts of Balochistan. In Musakhel, armed fighters of the BLA closed the highway, checked vehicles, and killed 23 people after asking for their identity. Among those killed in this targeted killing, 20 civilians were from Pakistan's Punjab province.

This is not the first case when the Baloch Liberation Army has targeted people from Punjab province. In many attacks before this, the people killed were from Punjab province. In such a situation, the question arises why are the people of Punjab being targeted in the fight for freedom of Balochistan? Why are people from other states being targeted in the ongoing struggle against the government?

The people of Balochistan wanted an independent country since the time of partition of India and Pakistan. They believe that Pakistan has illegally occupied this region. This is the reason why many organizations and groups were formed to liberate Balochistan, but the Balochistan Liberation Army is the strongest and most influential organization among them. It was officially established about 24 years ago and since then it has been fighting for the independence of Balochistan. Although its war is against the Pakistani government, its target is the people of Punjab province.

1. On Monday, people were unloaded from buses and trucks in Musakhel, Balochistan, and were fired upon indiscriminately. This attack was carried out after checking the identity of the people, in which 23 people were killed. The attackers blocked the national highway in the Rarasham area and searched the vehicles coming and going. People's identity was confirmed by checking their ID cards and then they were fired upon.

2. In October last year, an unknown gunman shot dead 6 laborers from Punjab in Turbat, Balochistan. Pakistan police called it a targeted killing. According to the police, these laborers were targeted based on their identity.

3. In 2015, a gunman killed 20 construction workers near a workers' camp in Turbat, Balochistan, in which 3 workers were also injured. All those killed belonged to the Punjab and Sindh provinces.

If we look at the old attacks of BLA in Pakistan, we can see a similar pattern. Their targets are mainly the people of the Pakistani army but there have been some incidents in which the people of Punjab have been selectively targeted. There are two main reasons behind the anger of the Balochistan Liberation Army against the people of Punjab.

The first reason is the dominance of Punjab in Pakistan's politics and bureaucracy. In fact, since its formation, Punjab province has had a great dominance in Pakistan's politics. It may be the second-largest province of Pakistan in terms of area but has the highest population. On the other hand, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area but has a very low population. Reserves of gas, coal, and copper are found in Balochistan but it is the least developed state of Pakistan.

The second reason is the feeling of isolation and injustice. According to the Baloch people, the Punjabi-dominated Pakistani states take advantage of the natural resources of Balochistan. In the ongoing Chinese projects in Pakistan, especially the construction of Gwadar Port, engineers and technical staff from Punjab province have been employed along with Chinese experts. However, these projects neither employed the youth of Balochistan nor did the state progress economically. This is the reason why the Baloch people are angry against the Punjab province and its people.