"Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has triggered new diplomatic tensions between Washington D.C. and Islamabad. "
The Pakistan government was using American weapons against the secular Baloch rebellion instead of using them against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Islamabad had manipulated the “war on terror” to commit widespread human rights violations against its Baloch political opponents. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : A hearing on Balochistan that stirs up new tensions between U.S. and Pakistan
Islamabad must be mindful of the fact that it can no longer commit human rights violations, curb basic freedoms and still remain unnoticed in the age of social media!
Balochistan is almost half of Pakistan's territory, but is its most backward province despite vast reservoirs of gas, gold, copper and a port in Gwadar. The Baloch have faced at least five deadly military operations by the Pakistani Army since what they describe as Balochistan's “illegal and forceful occupation” by Pakistan in 1948.
It was an "incontrovertible fact" that Balochistan was an "occupied territory which never acceded to Pakistan and now does not want to be a part of Pakistan. If a plebiscite or referendum is to be held tomorrow, Balochistan would vote to leave Pakistan."
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