Balochistan caught in spiral of violence

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MH12Df02.html

ISLAMABAD - The ongoing civil-military strife in trouble-stricken Balochistan, the most resource-rich but neglected and underdeveloped of the four provinces of Pakistan, has escalated to a worrying degree as a sputtering insurgency led by Baloch nationalists is fast turning into an all-out internal war between the Pakistan armed forces and the people of Balochistan.

Balochistan has historically had a tense relationship with the central government, mainly due to the touchy issues of provincial


autonomy, control of mineral resources and a consequent sense of deprivation.

A recently-released fact-finding report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that "The Pakistani security services are brazenly disappearing, torturing and often killing people because of suspected ties to Baloch nationalist movement". Another fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) observed, "In the cases of enforced disappearance of the Baloch men which were brought before the commission, there were credible allegations of the involvement of the state security forces."

Both the HRCP and HRW are well-respected and reliable human-rights organizations and their reports have come as ethnic and sectarian killings in Balochistan are taking place with an alarming regularity, mainly targeting Shi'ites and Punjabis. The latter are allegedly being killed by Baloch insurgents who themselves are being hunted down by the security forces for their so-called "anti-Pakistan activities".