How did the Balochistan problem start?
It’s a problem that started many decades ago, and sparked the insurgencies of the Baloch nationalists in 1948, 1958-59, 1962-63 and 1973-77—all of which the army suppressed. In the 1970s, the Baloch nationalists were ousted from power by the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto government, upon which they launched an armed struggle to reclaim power. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were part of the democratic landscape under the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. However, since the 1999 military takeover, they have been excluded from power in the province. The subsequent standoff between the government and Baloch nationalists has broken into warfare from time to time. What has sparked off the recent crisis is the contention of the Balochis that the province is being militarised, cantonments are being set up in the name of development, and that the real motive is to completely take over the natural resources of Balochistan, particularly in Kohlu and Dera Bugti. Why did the HRCP decide to send a
