Dialogue, not bullets, key to peace in Balochistan

A senior security official has called for a long-term political and strategic strategy to address the challenges facing Balochistan, saying

QUETTA: A senior security official has called for a long-term political and strategic strategy to address the challenges facing Balochistan, saying lasting peace cannot be achieved through security operations alone.

Speaking to journalists during a briefing in Quetta, the official said the state needed to focus on winning peace rather than merely defeating militants. He stressed that sustained engagement with ordinary Baloch people was essential to countering narratives that fuel unrest in the province.

“We need to win peace, not war, in Balochistan,” the official said, adding that bullets alone could not resolve the province’s problems.

He acknowledged that residents had genuine grievances and said these concerns should be addressed through political engagement. According to him, the state should focus on reaching ordinary citizens instead of relying primarily on tribal elites and influential figures.

The official said authorities conducted around 54,000 engagements with people across Balochistan last year and another 34,000 during the current year as part of efforts to strengthen public outreach.

He maintained that militants who take up arms against the state would continue to face security action, but said such measures must be accompanied by political efforts aimed at bringing people into the mainstream.

Political representation, he said, was among the province’s major challenges. He noted that Balochistan has only 16 seats in the National Assembly despite covering nearly half of Pakistan’s territory.

The official argued that the limited presence of major political parties in the province had contributed to a political vacuum, allowing alternative narratives and social movements to gain influence.

He also pointed to corruption and elite capture as obstacles to development, saying the province’s financial and natural resources had not translated into adequate economic opportunities for its population.

Describing Balochistan as strategically important for Pakistan’s future, the official highlighted its mineral wealth, fisheries, gas reserves, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and its geographic position.

He claimed the province had significant deposits of gold, copper and rare-earth minerals, while stressing that its resources had also made it vulnerable to regional and international competition.

The official said instability in Balochistan involved multiple dimensions, including terrorism, online campaigns, proxy networks and other forms of social disruption. He alleged that foreign-backed militant groups continued to pose a security threat.

He linked the rise in terrorism to developments in the region following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and said security forces had killed 1,263 militants during the current year, according to official figures.

The official also highlighted progress against smuggling, claiming that nearly 90% of previously reported smuggling activity through Balochistan had been curtailed. He said Iranian oil smuggling had declined from roughly 20 million litres per day to around one million litres.

He stressed that a sustainable solution required a combination of political dialogue, development, security measures and diplomatic engagement with neighbouring countries.

The official said efforts would continue to engage communities across Balochistan and acknowledged that the state still needed to find a viable political solution to the crisis.

He said attempts had also been made to engage activist Mahrang Baloch, but she had declined dialogue on several occasions.