Islamabad, Sep 28 (IANS) Pakistan continues to bleed as Baloch insurgency, Islamist terrorist sectarian violence, and political tensions test the fragile internal balance of the country. Each year, as many as 1,000 people have been killed due to militant violence in Pakistan, a report has detailed.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated over the past many months, with repeated exchanges of fire and growing concerns over civilian casualties. Pakistan has accused the Taliban of providing sanctuary to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Afghanistan, an allegation denied by Kabul. Apart from the TTP, Pakistan’s security forces also face attacks from other Sunni Islamist groups like the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group (HGB), a report in ‘Modern Tokyo Times’ mentioned.
In addition, Baloch insurgent groups continue to challenge Pakistan’s sovereignty, with some calling for greater autonomy and others seeking separation from Pakistan. Balochistan demonstrates not only a security problem but a deeper political confrontation over the nature of the state itself.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that it is leading a struggle movement for independence against the Pakistani state, which they accuse of exploiting their homeland. The BLA has been carrying out attacks against China as well, as the group has accused both Beijing and Islamabad of extracting Balochistan’s rich resources to the detriment of local communities.
Apart from these security challenges, Pakistan also faces internal political tensions. Pakistan’s struggle is related to the balance of power between civilian institutions, the armed forces, provincial authorities, ethnic movements, religious actors, and competing political constituencies, the report mentioned.
“Pakistan continues to confront a range of internal security challenges, including the persistent threat posed by Islamist insurgent groups, periodic sectarian violence, and long-standing separatist movements in Balochistan. These pressures unfold against a backdrop of political tension, where civilian governance remains strained and the influence of the armed forces is a defining factor in national decision-making,” wrote analyst Lee Jay Walker.
The result is a nation caught between central authority and peripheral identity, civilian institutions and military influence, religious militancy and secular political interests, and national sovereignty and cross-border insecurity. Pakistan’s internal problems will continue to provide fertile ground for instability until these tensions are addressed through security, political representation, economic opportunity, and regional diplomacy, according to the report in Modern Tokyo Times.
On September 24, the BLA claimed responsibility for 25 operations across Balochistan over the past few days targeting Pakistani forces that resulted in the death of 18 security personnel and injuries to several others, local media reported.
In a statement issued to the media, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that its fighters carried out attacks between September 14-23 in several parts of the province, including Panjgur, Kech, Kharan, Khuzdar, Mastung, Washuk, Nushki and other areas, The Balochistan Post reported.
He said that during the operations, the BLA attacked Pakistani military convoys and posts, surveillance infrastructure, supply routes, and what the group described as “death squads”.
–IANS
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