RECENT targeted attacks in Balochistan, including those in Kech, Khuzdar and Gwadar, are described as calculated efforts by the banned BLA and TTP to render the province ungovernable through the murder of civilians and security personnel. It is a proven fact that the banned BLA and TTP are involved in hardcore terrorism. The BLA and its facilitator, the so-called Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), have become adept at hijacking genuine grievances. Yes, Balochistan has faced deprivation. Yes, there are legitimate demands for better schools, hospitals, jobs and a fair share in resources. No democracy can ignore them.

But what the BLA and BYC do is exploit this deprivation as a shield. Whenever a terrorist is killed or arrested, the immediate response is not condemnation of violence, but a campaign calling it “state oppression.” When schools are........

© Pakistan Observer