In all, 31 civilians have been killed together with 17 security service personnel, chief minister Sarfraz Bugatti said. In an 40 hour gun battle, security forces have killed 145 attackers, he added; these deaths have occurred in response to violence.

Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebel group earlier claimed dozens of soldiers have been killed. It claimed that it was behind the attacks. A coordinated attack was carried out by BLA last week. It has been named Operation Hero or Black Storm.

Pakistan government has blamed India as usual. Meanwhile there has been widespread condemnation of Balochistan violence in Pakistan including from imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.

Blaming India for its own failings may be the knee jerk reaction of Pakistan. But it will not save lives or help keep peace in an area which is a part and parcel of Pakistan. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province. It is rich in mineral wealth.

Several projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are in this province. It is time the Baloch populace are convinced that they will savour the fruits of these projects. Since the creation of Pakistan, the Baloch people have been denied fruits of development. They have little to say how their resources are being used.

In sum, the Baloch populace have been victims of an exploitative and undemocratic political system. Balochistan is a strategically located province of Pakistan. It shares border with Afghanistan and Iran. This makes peace in Balochistan all the more important for the country of which it is a part of. The root cause of Baloch grievance requires more than punitive action. But one wonders whether a country which reports itself to a self appointed field marshal suffers from a democratic deficit?

The present dispensation of Pakistan is close to America. But White House dinners will not help Pakistan to keep federal peace. The Pakistan army had nurtured a strategic policy. In it, violent non state actors play a key role. But Pakistan has to do better than that. Offering sycophancy to Donald Trump will get it nowhere. Pakistan has to face the insurgency within. It must build a culture of political accountability.

The economy of the province is largely based upon livestock, agriculture, fisheries and production of natural gas, coal, and minerals. Outside Quetta, the infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations. The construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar is adding to economic growth in the province.

Further west is the Mirani dam multipurpose project, on the River Dasht, 50 kilometres west of Turbat in the Makran Division. There is also mining activity of copper, gold, and other minerals. The rest of the rural economy and livelihoods is agro-pastoral derived from the ranges which provide a diversity of uses, including forage for livestock, wildlife habitat, medicinal plants, watershed, fuel wood, and recreational activity.

Balochistan, province of Pakistan is by far the largest in size and the smallest in population. The province covers 34.7 million hectares, almost 44% of the country’s land area, with a population of about 8 million people (12 persons per sq. km.). The province is located in South-Western (220N to 320N, 660E to 700 E) Pakistan. About 80% of the area can be classified as inter-mountainous. The remaining 20% consists of flood plains and coastal plans.

The strategic location of Balochistan is of special interest to China, Russia and the USA. China is monitoring the developments so that its investments are protected. US looks the region from the perspective of mineral resources development and keeping close watch on Iran. So, that way, Pakistan authorities are under pressure to restore peace in the province. (IPA Service)