Balochistan: Uncertainly looms over Pakistan’s upcoming elections

QUETTA (BW Monitoring Desk): The pro-freedom Baloch groups have increased their attacks against Pakistan’s upcoming election campaigns. As usual this time also Baloch are expressing their disapproval of Pakistan’s elections.

In the last two terms, the Baloch people have stayed away from Pakistani elections making it a low turnover on election day. Pakistan’s power corridors were forced to select people to portray them as elected representatives of Balochistan. If they hadn’t done so the entire sham election process of Pakistan would be exposed before the world.

The latest attacks on election campaigns occurred on 31 January when the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) accepted responsibility for two attacks on Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidates and meetings in Buleda Zamuran and Quetta.

The BLA spokesperson, Azad Baloch, informed media that on Wednesday their fighters targeted the Pakistan People’s Party office located on Sariab Road in Quetta in a grenade attack.

At the time of the attack, the candidate of the Pakistan People’s Party and state instrument Ali Madad Jatak was present in the office.

As a result of the explosion, five people including three armed guards of Ali Madad Jatak, Javed Jatak, Nasrullah Jatak and Ghulamullah, suffered injuries.

According to BLA statement under the supervision of the state instrument Ali Madad Jatak and death squad ringleaders Jamal Raisani and Farid Raisani, on one hand, the said office is being used for their so-called election campaign and on the other hand the same office is being used as a base for their death squad operations.

Earlier on the same the BLA attacked the residence of another PPP candidate named Zahoor Buledai in Buleda, Balochistan.

Azad Baloch in a press statement said, “Our freedom fighters targeted the residence of the candidate of Pakistan People’s Party in Minaz area of   Kech in a bomb attack. Our organization Baloch Liberation Army takes responsibility for the attack.”

On January 29, the BLA accepted responsibility for killing an important ‘state collaborator’ named Lala Sherani Gandal.

In its statement, the group said that Sherani surrendered before the ‘occupying state’ a few years ago and has been assisting the Pakistani army in locating the basis of Baloch fighters in Kahan and surrounding areas.

BLA in its statement further said that Lala was directly involved in facilitating several military offensives in the region.

The Baloch Liberation Army also maintained in its statement that a few years ago Lala Sherani planted a landmine on the way of one of the senior commanders of the organisation named Captain Sikandar alias Gwahram. Sikandar was seriously wounded in that explosion.  

“Commander Gohram is considered as one of the exemplary and hard-working comrades who sacrificed his everything, his personal life and a high-rank position in Pakistan Army, for BLA and the Baloch freedom struggle,” Azad Baloch said.

The BLA statement added, “We warn all the locals working for the Pakistani army and agencies or the local leaders of the army active in Kahan and surrounding areas that anyone who is involved in providing information, facilitation, guidance in operations and attacks on freedom fighters or any other national crime, they will meet the same fate as Lala Sherani.”

On January 26 the BLA fighters attack a corner meeting of a Muslim League (N) candidate in Balochabad town of Kharan city. The group said it was an IED bomb attack.

The BLA urged Baloch people to ensure their safety by staying away from Pakistan’s election campaign programs and candidates.

Attack in Gwadar: on 25 January the Baloch Liberation Army fighter claimed to have planted a remote control bomb on the coastal highway to target the occupying Pakistani forces in the Paleri area of   Gwadar.

However, a passerby spotted the IED and reported it to a local councillor who then informed Pakistani forces about it but when the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) official arrived to defuse the bomb, they were targeted by BLA fighters.

As a result of the explosion, two officials of CTD, an institution active in the Baloch genocide, were injured, BLA said in its statement to the media.

The statement further read, “BLA warns the Baloch locals to realise their national responsibilities and maintain confidentiality when they receive any information regarding the operations of the freedom fighters. 

“In addition, the local chairmen, councillors and other so-called political representatives are strongly warned to refrain from giving allegiance to the state beyond their status and position.

“Providing information to occupying state institutions about any activities of the freedom fighters is complicity with the occupier and a national crime.”

On January 24 BLA carried out a bomb attack on the former Election Commission office in Kharan city.

The attack happened at the time when the Chief Secretary Balochistan and IG Police were expected to arrive in Kharan in connection with the Pakistani elections.

On January 21, the Baloch Liberation Army fighter carried out a bomb attack near the residence of the candidate of the People’s Party located on Tehsil Road in Kharan.

The group urged the Baloch nation once again that they should reject the elections of the ‘occupying state’ in occupied Balochistan.

On the same day, the BLA fighter hurled a hand grenade at the headquarters of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI located in the Qaziabad area of Nushki.

No casualties were reported as a result of this attack.

The spokesperson of the Baloch Liberation Army, Azad Baloch, accepted responsibility for all the above attacks in his press statements and urged the Baloch nation to boycott Pakistan’s elections.

The Baloch armed groups have also accepted responsibility for several attacks on Pakistani forces across Balochistan.

The Baloch pro-freedom armed groups advocate for an independent Baloch and reject Pakistani elections in Balochistan as they believe these elections are a tool to lengthen and strengthen Pakistan’s illegal occupation in Balochistan.