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New York Times
12-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
The Balochistan Separatist Movement in Pakistan: What to Know
Separatist fighters hijacked a train in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday and held passengers hostage for about 36 hours. The Pakistani military on Wednesday declared that it had ended the crisis with a rescue operation that freed passengers and resulted in the deaths of more than 30 militants. Here is what to know about the group behind the attack, the Baloch Liberation Army. What is the B.L.A.? The Baloch Liberation Army, or B.L.A., is a militant separatist group operating in Pakistan's Balochistan Province, advocating an independent Baloch state. The group has escalated its attacks in recent years, targeting security forces, infrastructure and foreign investments, particularly from China. The B.L.A.'s operations are part of a broader insurgency that has simmered for decades in one of Pakistan's most volatile regions. Who are the Baloch people? The Baloch people are an ethnic group native to the region spanning Pakistan's Balochistan Province, southeastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. They have a distinct linguistic, cultural and tribal identity, with their own language, Balochi, which belongs to the Iranian language family. Historically, the Baloch have maintained a seminomadic and tribal lifestyle, with a deep-rooted tradition of autonomy. Many Baloch nationalists argue that their region has been marginalized by national governments, leading to longstanding grievances over economic deprivation, political exclusion and military repression. The Pakistani city of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, has been at the center of the conflict. Its strategic location near the Afghan border makes it a key site for trade, governance and security operations. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province by land area, covering approximately 44 percent of the country's total territory. However, it is the least populated province, with only about 6 to 7 percent of Pakistan's total population. What are the B.L.A.'s recent attacks? Why does the B.L.A. oppose Chinese investment projects? The B.L.A. views China's investments as exploitative and a threat to Baloch autonomy. It has repeatedly attacked Chinese nationals and projects, particularly those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Balochistan is home to key CPEC infrastructure, such as the Gwadar port. Attacks on Chinese nationals, construction sites and infrastructure projects are intended to disrupt these economic ventures and send a message to Beijing about the costs of involvement in Balochistan. The B.L.A. has framed its campaign as a fight against 'colonial-style' economic extraction. Is the B.L.A. an Islamist group? No. Unlike many other militant groups operating in Pakistan, the B.L.A. is a secular separatist movement that seeks independence for Balochistan rather than the establishment of an Islamic state. Its ideology is rooted in Baloch nationalism, and its grievances are primarily tied to political autonomy, economic control over local resources and opposition to what it sees as exploitation by the Pakistani state. When did the conflict begin? The Balochistan conflict dates back to 1947 when Pakistan gained independence and incorporated Balochistan, a move opposed by many Baloch nationalists. Since then, the region has seen multiple insurgencies, with major uprisings occurring in the 1950s, 1970s and early 2000s. The most recent insurgency continues today. By 2020, the Baloch insurgency had been greatly weakened by years of counterinsurgency operations, rifts among separatist groups, fatigue and government incentives for the militants to lay down their weapons. But the intensity and frequency of attacks started rising sharply last year. The number of terrorist attacks in Balochistan nearly doubled in 2021 compared to 2020, according to a Pakistani tally. How has Pakistan responded to the insurgency? Baloch separatism is just one of the forces threatening the nation's already tenuous unity and stability; others include violent insurgencies by the Islamic State affiliate known as ISIS-K and the resurgent Pakistani Taliban. The Pakistani government has responded to the B.L.A. with a mix of military operations and intelligence crackdowns, attempting to dismantle the group's networks. The country's security agencies have cracked down on educated Baloch youth, forcibly 'disappearing' suspected militants, sometimes for years, without trial, according to news reports, student advocates and human rights groups. Pakistani officials have also alleged that India has provided covert assistance to Baloch insurgents. The B.L.A. claims to be an independent nationalist movement, relying on its fighters and sympathizers within Balochistan rather than external support. What are the regional implications of the B.L.A.'s activities? Balochistan's insurgency has implications beyond Pakistan's borders. The province shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan, and cross-border movements of militants have raised concerns about broader regional instability. Iran has at times expressed concerns about Baloch separatist activity near its border, while Afghanistan's shifting political landscape has introduced new variables into Pakistan's counterinsurgency efforts.
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Separatists in Pakistan Are Still Holding Hundreds of Hostages in Train Standoff
Pakistani security forces have been locked in a deadly standoff with armed militants for more than a day after the attackers seized a passenger train on Tuesday and held hundreds hostage. The crisis is a dramatic escalation of a long-running separatist insurgency in the country's southwest. The Baloch Liberation Army, or B.L.A., a banned separatist group, seized the train, which was carrying more than 400 people, in a remote mountainous region. The group claimed to be holding at least 214 people, including military personnel and civilian law enforcement officers. It demanded that the government release its imprisoned members within 48 hours, threatening to execute the hostages if the demand was not met. By Wednesday morning, security authorities said that more than 150 hostages had been rescued, though the fate of the remaining passengers remained uncertain. Officials also reported that at least 27 militants had been killed in the continuing operation and that hostages were being held at three separate locations. Muhammad Tallal Chaudry, the minister of state for interior, told the Geo TV news channel on Tuesday night that some hostages had been taken into the nearby mountains. Independent verification of events remains difficult because the hijacking took place in a remote, mountainous region with practically no cell or internet connectivity, restricting the reach of journalists. So far, information has come solely from security officials and the B.L.A. The Pakistani military, which is mainly conducting the rescue operation, has not issued an official statement. The train was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, to Peshawar. But it became stranded inside a tunnel about 100 miles from Quetta as it came under attack, and the conductor was killed, according to the authorities. After the capture of the train, Pakistan Railways announced that it would temporarily suspend train operations in Quetta and that they would resume only after security agencies had inspected and confirmed the system's safety. Muhammad Ashraf was among a group of 80 passengers who were freed last night and said he reached a nearby railway station after walking for hours along the tracks. 'When the train was attacked, everyone threw themselves to the floor, using luggage and sacks to shield themselves from the bullets,' Mr. Ashraf said by phone after reaching Quetta. 'Screams were echoing everywhere.' The militants took all of the passengers hostage but later released parties traveling with women and children, he said. Baluchistan, a large and sparsely populated province that borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been plagued by separatist violence and insurgent activity. The province is also home to major China-led projects, including a strategic port. Ethnic separatist groups have regained momentum, increasingly attacking security forces and Chinese citizens involved in projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, China's infrastructure investment program. The separatists accuse Pakistan's government of allowing China to extract the region's wealth. Experts, however say that separatist groups have become increasingly emboldened and sophisticated in their operations, now incorporating tactics such as suicide bombings — an approach that was previously associated primarily with Islamist militants operating in northwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan for the past several decades. 'The ability of the B.L.A. to hijack a train with such precision suggests an advanced intelligence-gathering network and strategic planning,' said Dost Muhammad Barrech, an academic at the University of Balochistan in Quetta. Just last week, an alliance of separatist groups, including the B.L.A., announced plans to intensify attacks on Pakistani security forces, infrastructure and Chinese interests in the region. Last year, the B.L.A. carried out one of Pakistan's deadliest terrorist attacks, a suicide bombing that killed at least 25 people, including security personnel, at a busy railway station in Quetta. The group also claimed responsibility for another deadly bombing targeting a convoy carrying Chinese nationals near Karachi's international airport, in Pakistan's largest city.
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Separatists Hijack Train Carrying Over 400 Passengers in Pakistan
Separatist militants hijacked a train carrying more than 400 people in an isolated mountainous area of southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday. The fate of the passengers, whom the militants said they were holding hostage, was not immediately clear. The militants, Baloch ethnic fighters, forced the train to stop in the Bolan district of Balochistan Province after opening fire on it, according to railway and police officials. The train was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It was to pass through several cities, including Lahore and Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, said the authorities were struggling to reach the site of the ambush because of the challenging terrain. Rashid Hussain, a trader in Quetta, said his family had left on the train for Rawalpindi in the morning but had become unreachable after 2 p.m. 'I am deeply worried,' he said by telephone. 'The government is not providing any updates. Neither roads nor trains are safe in this province.' The seizure of the passenger train highlighted the increasing sophistication of a separatist insurgency in Pakistan's southwest. The attack was the latest in a series of violent episodes in Balochistan, a province bordering Iran and Afghanistan that is the site of major Chinese-led projects, including a strategic port. A group known as the Baloch Liberation Army, or B.L.A., claimed responsibility for the train hijacking. In a statement, it said its militants had taken hostages, some of whom were security personnel. The government has yet to confirm reports of hostages or any casualties. Last year, the B.L.A. carried out one of Pakistan's deadliest terrorist attacks, a suicide bombing that killed at least 25 people, including security personnel, at Quetta's busy railway station. The group also claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing targeting a convoy carrying Chinese citizens near the international airport in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. The separatists accuse the Chinese of stealing the province's resources. In recent months, separatist groups have escalated high-profile attacks along Balochistan's three major highways, directly challenging the state's authority. Last week, an alliance of the groups, including the B.L.A., announced plans to intensify attacks on Pakistani security forces, infrastructure and Chinese interests in the region. 'It points to two key trends: the increasing operational capabilities and sophistication of separatist groups and the weakening control of the government in Balochistan,' said Abdul Basit, senior associate fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. At the Quetta railway station, families of passengers aboard the train anxiously gathered at the information counter on Tuesday, seeking updates. Many people in the region had begun to prefer rail travel after frequent militant ambushes on the highways on which passengers were killed after being taken off buses. Frequent protests have also caused road blockages. Train services had resumed only in October after a two-month suspension because of militant attacks on railway tracks.
