The insurgency in Balochistan also has the civilians, long time settlers (Balochsitanis as opposed to Baloch) from other provinces and ethnicities in the line of fire. While Pashtuns are accepted as the people historically settled ‘in their own areas’ of Balochistan, Balochistanis are not extended that courtesy by Baloch nationalists. Consequently, many have been targeted and killed.

According to the president, Balochistan Punjabi Ittehad, Muhammad Amir, some 1,250 settlers have been killed in the last five years.

Elaborating on the issue, a leading Baloach political activist explains that Quetta was never a city in the real sense. When the British established a camp and cantonment here in 1829 (to secure supply lines) the civilian population came here to do menial work such as arranging fodder for animals, laundry, managing rations, tailoring, barbering and so on and so forth as camp followers. They came from UP and Punjab, but mostly Punjab. The Baloch were traditionally not involved in these professions and were not part of this setup. These settlers are the descendants of these camp followers and they now occupy top positions like chief secretary, chief justice and IG police. Their interests have always been attached with the army and the cantonment and they have always sided with them. They supported the One Unit and other such measures seen as anti-Baloch. However, after a Baloch middle class started taking shape in the city, there arose a conflict of interest. Balochistanis are the Baloch’s main competition in admissions, jobs and business opportunities.

However, Mir Hasil Bizenjo asserts that the settlers and Hazaras have always been pro-Baloch and in the last uprisings they always sided with them. Due to the targeted killings of the civilians, this rebellion has lost support, he says.

Rejecting the charges by insurgents, Amir says, “We have been living here for the last 80 years or more and all our elders are buried here. We reject this notion that our interests are not attached with Balochistan.” Due to the on-going violence, business opportunities are shrinking and property prices have plummeted which affect all people equally, Baloch or non-Baloch, he concludes.—M.I.