'Dialogue, not bullet', key to peace in Balochistan, says senior security official

A senior security official on Friday called for a fresh political and strategic approach to Balochistan, arguing that the province’s complex problems could not be resolved through the use of force alone and that the way forward lay in sustained dialogue with ordinary Baloch people. “We need to win peace, not war, in Balochistan,” the official told a group of journalists during a briefing held in Quetta, stressing that the problem would not be solved through bullets, but through dialogue. “The real issue is the narrative,” he said, adding that while the challenges confronting Balochistan were serious, they were “not insurmountable”. The official said Pakistan needed a long-term strategic vision for the province, including what he described as a 10-year plan, rather than relying on short-term responses to security crises. “There is no traitor in Balochistan. Ninety-nine point nine per cent are patriots, just like people in other parts of Pakistan,” he added. He acknowledged that people in the province had genuine grievances, although some concerns were being amplified or exploited for political purposes. “We respect them,” he said, emphasising that the state should engage with common people rather than notables and sardars who only exploited the situation for their own benefits. Also Read: PM urges 'frank' dialogue on Balochistan issues According to the official, authorities had held around 54,000 engagements with people in Balochistan last year and another 34,000 this year as part of efforts to reach out to local communities. “We dialogue with the masses, not with Sardars,” he said, arguing that the focus should remain on ordinary citizens. The official said those who had taken up arms against the state would continue to be dealt with through security operations, but maintained that a political solution had to accompany the kinetic response. “Those who take up arms are dealt with arms,” he said, adding that the broader objective was to bring people into the political mainstream. The official identified what he called political deprivation as one of the central problems facing Balochistan, rather than simply economic deprivation. He pointed out that the province had only 16 seats in the National Assembly despite accounting for nearly half of Pakistan’s landmass. “When was the last time a major political party held a public rally in Balochistan?” he asked, suggesting that the absence of mainstream political parties had created a vacuum that was increasingly being filled by social movements and narratives promoted through social media. He argued that the Baloch voice remained under-represented in parliament, noting that Balochistan was the only province where, in some areas, one National Assembly constituency covered as many as four districts. Read More: Security forces kill 11 Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan operations: ISPR The official also blamed elite capture and corruption for preventing available financial resources from translating into development, while saying that a large portion of the province’s economy had historically remained outside the formal system. He said the government needed to develop a strategic vision for the province and answer a basic question: “When shall Balochistan develop?” The official described Balochistan as the centre of an emerging contest over strategic resources, arguing that the province’s mineral wealth and its location had made it vulnerable to regional and international power competition. “Balochistan is Pakistan’s future,” he said, pointing to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), mines, minerals and the province’s strategic location. He claimed the province possessed enormous deposits of gold, copper and rare-earth minerals, estimating their potential value at around $6 trillion. He also referred to the province’s fisheries, gas reserves and other natural resources as major untapped economic opportunities. He said the Sarona block contained gas reserves several times larger than those of Sui but had remained stalled because of tribal opposition. The official argued that wherever large natural resources were discovered, competition and instability often followed, adding that efforts were underway to undermine CPEC and exploit local grievances. Also Read: Rebuilding trust: A path to peace and prosperity in Balochistan He described Balochistan as a “victim of great-power competition” and said regional rivalries had further complicated the situation. The official identified four broad categories of threats: kinetic terrorism, non-kinetic activity including social media campaigns, “sub-kinetic” activity and socially disruptive proxies. He alleged that foreign-backed terrorist networks continued to operate against Pakistan and revealed that Baloch terrorist leader Dr Allah Nazar was hiding in one of the neighbouring countries. He said Pakistan had sought the return of wanted terrorists and that red notices had been issued against several terrorists. The official linked the recent increase in terrorism in Balochistan and elsewhere to developments following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the current year had witnessed the deadliest phase of terrorism in Balochistan in recent years. He cited official security figures showing that 1,263 terrorists had been killed this year. The official also highlighted what he described as the significant improvement in counter-smuggling operations. According to him, around Rs1.2 trillion worth of smuggling had previously been taking place through Balochistan, but nearly 90% of it had now been curtailed. He said the smuggling of Iranian oil had fallen sharply from around 20 million litres a day to about one million litres. The official stressed that security measures alone could not produce lasting peace and called for a policy shift combining political engagement, development, security and diplomacy. He said diplomatic manoeuvring also needed to be activated, particularly with Iran and Afghanistan, to ensure that wanted terrorists and those involved in terrorism could be brought to justice. The official said the state had reached out to people across Balochistan and would continue doing so. “Embrace Balochistan. If resisted, embrace more firmly,” he said. He acknowledged that the state had yet to find a political way out of the crisis but insisted that winning over the common Baloch was ultimately the key to success. “We will win when we win over the common Baloch,” he said. The official also said attempts had been made to engage Mahrang Baloch, but she had declined to enter into dialogue on several occasions.