Baloch embassy in New Delhi? Another Bangladesh in the making

NEW DELHI: The liberation struggle in the westernmost province of Balochistan is giving headaches to Pakistan. The conundrum in the minerals-rich terrain of Balochistan is akin to the Bangladesh liberation in the 1970s. The Baloch people are strongly moving to free themselves from the shackles of a rogue Pakistan.

Mir Yar Baloch, a Balochistan independence advocate and famous blogger first shared news of the Balochistan flag being raised in the capital Quetta.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly attacked the oil fields in Dera Bugti, which is home to over 100 natural gas wells, and captured the largest city, Quetta. The BLA had killed 14 Pakistani soldiers in Balochistan after India launched a retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.

The request to the United Nations to allow a Baloch embassy in New Delhi and to send a UN peacekeeping force to Balochistan shows how Pakistan is losing its foothold in the vital terrain.

Mir Yar Baloch called for the collapse of terrorist Pakistan and for a special meeting to recognize the independence of the Democratic Republic of Balochistan. Demands were also raised for allocating funds for currency and passport printing, and for the Pakistani army, police, military intelligence, and ISI to leave Balochistan.

Mir said that the BLA will soon take control and an interim government will be announced in an independent Balochistan. She also beseeched friendly countries like India to join the Independence Day event of the country.

Balochistan, a once British colony, was made a part of Pakistan on June 29, 1947, much to the chagrin of locals. An internal rebellion broke out in the province of 'Kalat', which opposed the move. Riots took place in 1948, 1958-59, 1962-63, and 1973-77. The liberation struggle led by the BLA has been strong since 2003. Hindu and Dravidian cultures existed in this terrain before the Aryan invasion.

The Kalat division, which still opposes Pakistan, was once a princely state ruled by the Hindu Sewa dynasty. The ancestors of the Baloch are the Brahuis, who spoke a Dravidian language.

• Balochistan province covers about 44% of Pakistan's land area, but its population density is low due to extreme cold and heat.

• A critical region bordered by Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest, and the Arabian Sea to the south.

• The main source of income for the people is agriculture and livestock. It is also famous for wool and leather production. It is rich in natural gas fields.

• Pakistan's interest in Balochistan is to profiteer from natural gas.