By Shahdad Baloch

What most often weighs down a cause and bring misery is the past mistakes, repetitions of tried formulas, and memory of old victories and defeats. The failures became fate when the war in the present age is most often fought with obsolete tactics – this symbolises that change with the passage of time is inevitable. Waging a guerrilla war means recognising the enemy and its strength first, and gain your surprise victory by creating multidimensional problems for the enemy.

The term guerilla war in Spanish called as “small war”, irregular in nature and the war on minds, with the best strategy that your enemy at the start of the war lose it by 50 percent owing to the war strategy of the guerrillas who are small in number but far sharper, mobile and fluid in their strategies as compared to the mighty armies of enemy. When the enemy drags the war with no sign of climax than it depends on the guerrilla warriors that how they come up with a completely different strategy, by refreshing their minds and techniques thereby overcoming the enemy with an excellent strategy.

In looking back to the unpleasant and disagreeable experience, the Baloch Liberation Army’s high command called to protect the national interests by introducing a fresh military doctrine. The indications are crystal clear before the Baloch nation and the entire world who are observing the freedom movement of Balochistan that BLA has invoked a comprehensive doctrine of accountability within their freedom fighters who surpasses the limits of guerrilla warfare strategies by putting the national interests first.

The fresh statement of BLA demonstrates that Baloch nation has a single enemy – the Pakistani army and their designed death squads. It further indicates that freedom fighters associated with BLA should protect the public interests and bare themselves from any policy to harm the Baloch from all walks of life, whether it may pertain to Baloch journalists, transporters, traders or those who are thriving for their two-time bread and butter.

Moreover, BLA high command’s statement indicates the organisation is determined not to compromise the national sovereignty of united Balochistan. Among the Baloch resistance organisations, BLA has been the most vocal and clear in its stance that Iran is equally and as much the enemy of the Baloch nation as Pakistan. The clear stance of Baloch Liberation Army about Iran clearly illustrates that Iran and its revolutionary guards are trying to create rifts and misunderstanding within Baloch resistance organisation by giving relaxations to one Baloch resistance organisation.  The crux BLA’s statement is that Azad Baloch is the only official spokesperson of the organisation and that Baloch nation on logical basis should concentrate on their single enemy and must rule out creating multiple of enemies in the name of any “ism” or religion.

The fuel of any freedom movement is their nation and global supporters, no movement could succeed without the support of its nation even the superpower America on account of the attack on pearl harbour called for public support whether to attack Japan or not. Then how would it be logical that while campaigning for guerrilla warfare the support of the public is ruled out or the bestowed power is turned to the masses who are themselves are the victim of the enemy – the nation for whose freedom the guerrillas have launched their campaign?

The reflection from the statement of BLA came up with high-tone that it believes in “control and command strategy” that no immunity is granted to any of its freedom fighters who transgresses the code and conducts of the organisation. It is the first time in the history of the Baloch freedom movement that two regional commanders (Aslam Baloch and Bashirzeb Baloch) have been suspended because they conspired against the organisation and attempted to mislead the Baloch nation by creating fake news sites and social media pages in the name of BLA. This bold decision of BLA indicates that it does not believe merely in quantity but the quality of the freedom movement.

Likewise, on the issue of threats to the journalists for not covering the news and point of view of the freedom seekers, BLA countered the valour with discretion by holding the opinion that local journalists are not intentionally ignoring the activities and the news of Baloch freedom seekers. The BLA rightly said in its statement that it is the brutal state machinery of Pakistan including army, judiciary, ISI and Pakistan electronic and print media regulatory authorities who are imposing their will on Balochistan’s local journalists and media persons not to publish the news pertains to the freedom movement of Balochistan. In a recent BBC report, many journalists courageously stated that it was the Pakistani state that is forcing them not to publish news about Balochistan unrest. If the journalists were prejudiced toward the Baloch freedom struggle they could have easily blamed the Baloch freedom fighters.

Under these circumstances, if Baloch freedom fighters also opt for the brutal approach of killing the journalists for not giving coverage to their cause than what would be the fate of the Baloch nation?  Indeed, in such circumstances, the nation becomes the sandwich between the state brutal policies and the illogical attempts of freedom fighters. The freedom struggle will lose support and credibility within their own supporters and Baloch nation. It is also a fact that there is no international observatory cell for the safety of Balochistan’s journalists from the atrocities of Pakistan due to which Baloch nation has received several mutilated dead bodies of Baloch journalists who were either target killed or abducted and killed under-custody by Pakistan army and intelligence agencies. The prominent examples of which are Siddique Eido, Ilyas Nazar, Lala Nasir, Razzaq Gull, Javed Nasser Rind and Munir Shakir Baloch, all of these were killed by Pakistani army because they reported the ground realities.

The question arises in the mind of every Baloch individual that what should be the fate of time-riddled journalists and ordinary Baloch if both the state and freedom seekers’ military wings pressed them. The BLA’s spokesman Azad Baloch precisely gauged the plight of journalists and Baloch nation that is why he denounced the doctrine of use of power on any innocent Baloch from all walk of life. This indicates that BLA has deeply understood the gravity of Balochistan’s situation and knows the consequences of using unnecessary forces against the Baloch nation.  The BLA’s perception is recognising evil designs of the enemy and bringing ease to the life of innocent Baloch by distancing itself from the military doctrine of other Baloch guerrilla wings.

The opponent of the Baloch nation is doing the same tactics to eliminate the Baloch and bring velocity in the genocide that is what BLA’s high command indicated in their latest statement that we all should try to learn from the adapt to the present. This is the time for a new methodology of war by creating more harm to the enemy and bringing ease to the Baloch nation on minor issues for which they are not accountable. This is possible when like BLA, all military wings of Baloch avoid casualties to their own nation and utilize their energies against the single enemy that is Pakistan army and their death squads.

The first and last understanding before all Baloch military wing and freedom seekers should be realistic and ground-based approach that Pakistan is not an ideal state but a failed and terrorist state who is violating and crossing all limits of human right violation. The Baloch freedom fighters have to respect media, journalists, traders especially small business owners in Balochistan and employers. There is has to be a sophisticated system of accountability within Baloch organisations.

The latest statement of the BLA’s high command is a wave of comfort and ease came for the Baloch nation that Baloch liberation army is clear in its policies and conducts thereby not supporting any sort of action which could dishearten the Baloch nation from the struggle. BLA’s statement is a moral lesson for the rest of Baloch resistance organisations that change should be the need of time and discretion should overcome the valour for the sake of the success of freedom of Balochistan. The victory of Baloch liberation struggle become inevitable when our freedom seekers put the national interests first by keeping the nation in high esteem and held accountable those who violate the set rules.