Sunday, March 22, 2015

Trouble South of Border - Balochistan

Central and South Asia is a troubled region riddled with conflict. Not only does Afghanistan have its own internal insurgency but it's neighbors also have problems. Pakistan has a number of groups that oppose its government. One of these groups is the Balochs. The Balochs live in a large area of Pakistan just to the south of Afghanistan - called Balochistan. Baloch refugees are moving across the border into Afghanistan - many into Nimroz and Helmand provinces. The Balochs of this region are not numerous and the area is very poor (even though it is supposed to be rich in natural resources). There is a desire among many Balochs for independence but this is not going to happen as the Pakistani security forces have a good handle on the situation (thus far). Many reports indicate that the Pakistani forces are engaged in human rights violations. The situation is compounded with massive smuggling enterprises (including drug trafficking). Read more in "Pakistan: Baloch's Silent War - Analysis", Eurasia Review, March 19, 2015.

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