The decision of entering into alliances of US-NATO states in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) proved to be an unwise decision for Pakistan. Pakistan faced massive repercussions against taking part in Global War on Terror. The aftermath of initiating their part in the GWOT caught whole Pakistan into a wave of terrorism and insurgency. Specifically, back in 2004, Pakistan was entrenched into a fatal insurgency wave in the province of Balochistan. There were different left-wing underground armed groups which were fighting against the state of Pakistan and their end goal was independent Balochistan. Moreover, there were other armed groups which were paid by the hostile countries to inject terrorism in Balochistan. The infighting exacerbated and Baloch groups targeted civilians and government institutions including the military cantonment of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan; important government buildings and killed senior government officials. This insurgency was also troublesome for Pakistan because it was the longest insurgency Islamabad has faced. It was lethal because it gradually spread from rural areas to cities of Balochistan. Even the flag of Pakistan was burned in the province. Another lethality of this insurgency was the involvement of children and women. Not only this but also the international community accused Pakistan of committing atrocities in the province because hostile states were putting their endless efforts in international lobbying. It is a matter of fact that this Baloch insurgency was the major concerns of past three governments and yet it existed although it was being tackled with high handedness.
Pakistan tried its best and carried out military operations, bought the loyalties of rival tribal chiefs and empowered the nationalist leadership of the Baloch but that also didn’t work. All policies failed to completely uproot the Baloch resistance in the mineral-rich province of Pakistan.
After all of these efforts, Pakistan government started to fulfil the demands of Baloch people which diminished the sense of deprivation from them. Subsequent governments of Balochistan exerted their relentless efforts to accommodate the Baloch people in socio-economic perspectives. This whole framework was supported by Operations like Rad-ul-Fassad, and hundreds of intelligence based operations (IBOs). Another angle for the demise of Balochistan insurgency was the perception of Baloch armed fighters against Baloch politicians who are currently living in exile. People like Dr Allah Nazar, head of another Baloch armed group, the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and the Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleman Dawood, who thinks of himself as the suzerain of entire Balochistan, are the people who lost their credibility and Pakistan took advantage of it.
In holistic view, things turned mild when the burden of poverty was lifted from them and basic facilities were starting to provide to them. Aghaz e Haqooq e Balochistan, Alif Bay Educational programs, basic hospitals and courts, infrastructure development were the factors which turned the people of Balochistan in favour of Pakistan. Where there were burning flags of Pakistan in Balochistan, on the auspicious day of 23rd March there were waving green flags in Balochistan. In Kohlu a special custom made flag of Pakistan was unfurled to much fanfare on 78th Pakistan day. That green flag was hoisted and lit on the Jandran Ridge in Kohlu, Balochistan. The flag approximately measured 300×200 ft and fluttered 5,577 ft above sea-level, which set the new record. So overall the picture is very clear in Balochistan, the anti-state province turned into loving state province.
