Ethnic Conflicts in Pakistan:A Geostrategic Perspective in the Context of Baluchistan

The post-Cold War era has seen increase in ethnic conflicts in various parts of the world. To understand ethnic conflict better, factors operating within the state and beyond its borders should be taken into consideration. In South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, the Baluch movement which had remained dormant in the past two decades, again raised its head and now the Baluch insurgency threatens to destabilize Pakistan and vitiate the regional security envioronment. The origin of the Baluch insurgency has been in the fact that despite being the richest province in terms of energy and mineral resources, Baluchistan remains one of the most underdeveloped provinces in Pakistan. The Baloch people therefore have long been demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of the dividend from natural resources. The denial of this autonomy has fuelled the current insurgent violence. Further, tensions between the government and Baloch insurgent groups have grown because of Islamabad's heavy-handed armed response to the insurgency and its refusal to negotiate demands for political and economic autonomy. The conflict has the potential to escalate if the government insists on seeking a military solution to what is essentially a political problem. This article analyses in detail the various aspects related to Baluch insurgency and seeks to give a better understanding of this long festering conflict.