Baluchistan Nationalist Movement and Unrest in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the most complex multi-ethnic societies in the developing Islamic world. Each of the ethnic groups that now comprise Pakistan has very distinctive identity, folklore, history and political interests. However, Pakistan’s nation builders were not alive to the ethnic question and failed to integrate ethnic groups into a Pakistani nationhood through recognised principles of autonomy, representation and empowerment. Instead, a non-representative, military-led authoritarian system suppressed legitimate regional and ethnic aspirations, relying too heavily on Islam and Pakistan ideology (two nation theory) to forge a sense of common nationhood. It didn’t work: since the 1950s there have been four major insurrections against the central government by Baluch nationalists. Although the Baluch national question has its roots in the colonial era, it emerged as a significant political and security issue because an over-centralised and non-representative power system couldn’t address the issue of ethnic diversity. Baluchistan is now a hub of interests for regional and major powers.