Pakistan Military Offensives: Punjabi Army Will Not Succeed in Balochistan

By: MB Marri

The ongoing military offensives and human rights violations in Balochistan, carried out by the Pakistani state and its predominantly Punjabi military, have reached alarming levels. Yet, the Apex Committee has decided to further intensify the already ongoing offensives against the region.

Decades of systematic oppression, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings have failed to subdue the Baloch nation. The latest military offensives, marked by internet shutdowns, transportation bans, and the closure of essential services, represent yet another desperate attempt to crush Baloch resistance. However, history has proven time and again that the Punjabi army’s oppressive tactics will never succeed.

Genocide in Balochistan

Pakistan’s policies in Balochistan amount to nothing less than genocide. The Punjabi army and intelligence agencies have waged a brutal campaign against the Baloch people, targeting civilians, youth, and activists with impunity. Some of the most heinous acts include:

Arbitrary arrests and abductions: Enforced disappearances of thousands of Baloch men, women, and children continues to this day. Victims are often abducted in broad daylight or during stealthy night raids in the presence of their family members, offloaded from public transport in front of dozens of witnesses, and taken from hostels before the eyes of security guards.

Extrajudicial killings: Many of the forcibly disappeared have been killed in custody, with their mutilated bodies dumped in public spaces to spread fear. The state labels them “terrorists” to justify its crimes against humanity and atrocities in Balochistan.

Torture: Various inhuman methods of torture are used to make prisoners suffer, including slashing their body parts, spraying them with chilli powder, forcing them to sleep on ice slabs in extremely cold weather, hanging them upside down for entire nights, depriving them of sleep, and locking them in dark rooms that reek of decaying bodies. They are told, “If you don’t do what you’re asked, you will die here like those before you, and nobody will know.”

The Myth of Three Sardars

For years, the Punjabi establishment has propagated the narrative that the resistance in Balochistan is led by just three Sardars. However, this myth has been shattered. Today, it is the Baloch youth—educated, determined, and fearless—who are leading the charge against Pakistan’s occupation.

The resistance is not confined to tribal leaders; it is a mass movement that spans the length and breadth of Balochistan. From students to workers, every segment of Baloch society has united against the tyranny of the Punjabi military.

Historic Atrocities and Defeated Army

This is not the first time Pakistan has launched a large-scale military offensive in Balochistan. Since 1948, there have been five major military campaigns, each more brutal than the last. Yet, the Punjabi army has never succeeded in breaking the will of the Baloch people to be free from occupation.

The reasons for these repeated failures are clear:

• The Baloch people have endured decades of suffering but have never wavered in their demand for independence.
• The Punjabi army has achieved nothing through its brutal tactics of killing and dumping. On the contrary, the more atrocities it commits, the closer Balochistan moves toward freedom. The Mongols, Mughals, Portuguese, and British could not defeat the Baloch; neither will the Punjab army, one of the most corrupt and crooked armies in the world.
• Thanks to the Baloch youth, social media, and the efforts of exiled Baloch political parties, the international community is becoming increasingly aware of Pakistan’s human rights abuses in Balochistan. Reputable human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have extensively reported on Pakistan’s brutalities and exposed the state’s terrorism.
• Today, the resistance is driven by the collective will of the Baloch nation, with youth at the forefront. The Baloch are fighting not just for their land but for their identity and survival.
• Political and economic instability within Pakistan weakens its ability to sustain prolonged operations in Balochistan. Even the IMF no longer trusts Pakistan.
• The more the Punjabi army tightens its grip, the more it alienates the Baloch people. Oppression breeds resistance, and the Baloch resistance has only grown stronger over time.

Struggle Till Victory

Pakistan’s genocidal policies in Balochistan are unsustainable. The state can shut down the internet, close roads, and deploy its military, but it cannot crush the will of an entire nation. The Baloch people’s struggle is rooted in justice, freedom, and dignity—values that no amount of military force can suppress.

I firmly believe that the Punjabi army will never succeed in Balochistan. The Baloch nation has survived decades of oppression and will continue to resist until Balochistan is free and independent.

The time has come for the international community to raise its voice against the Baloch genocide and hold Pakistan accountable for its crimes. Balochistan will not be silenced, and its people will not stop fighting for their rightful place in the world.