There should be no doubt that one of the biggest attacks on Balochistan was launched on Saturday, and though they involved Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Panjgur, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Tump and Pasni, which is a wide area, they were obviously coordinated. The terrorists had thrown everything and the proverbial kitchen sink at the law enforcing agencies, but fortunately, their professional skill and preparedness, along with their high morale, ensured that they held their ground at all points of attack, and repulsed the attackers with heavy losses. The casualty figures tell the tale: there were 15 jawans martyred, while 92 attackers were killed. That the fighting took place in populated areas is shown by the deaths of 18 civilians in the terrorists’ initial attacks.
The first thing to become glaringly apparent is that the province is not settled. Whatever is being tried in Balochistan, whatever experiment in governance is being carried out, is not working. That the militants have been able to find 92 people willing to die, is worrisome. It may be the last flare from the fire before it dies out, but clearly there are a large number of militants willing to risk their lives while fighting against the state. Something must be done differently. Whoever is in charge of matters in Balochistan must revise their methods. If that means the federal government must intervene, then it should not hang back solely because of a few members of parliament. The Baluchistan members supporting it may mean its ability to amend the Constitution, but not its ability to govern. Another thing must be realized. There is clearly a massive intelligence failure. There was not really one grand operation, but several smaller ones taking place at the same time. This was not possible except by considerable coordination. Yet no prior knowledge was received, which would have allowed some reduction of losses, both civilian, and among the troops.
The federal government must also realize that removing the ‘grievances of the Baloch’ must be done because it is right, not as a means of ending militancy. One worrying dimension is that the fight is no longers between terrorists and the law-enforcing agencies, but involves terrorists. It is a comment, somewhat pessimistic, on the whole situation in the province, that the highest casualties came during defence rather than during offence.
