In March, the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked a passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan. The group took around 200 passengers hostage, and ended up claiming responsibility for the attack. Pakistan’s security ordered a rescue of the hostages, which ended in the freeing of 104 civilians, with 16 BLA militants being killed. The group has already targeted infrastructure projects, and have expressed to be driven by political marginalization. Pakistan responded to the attack by claiming the BLA has some sort of ties with Afghanistan, however the Taliban quickly squashed these claims.
This event is important to the area for a couple reasons. It shows the BLA’s dedication, strength, and nerve, and has posed a serious threat to Pakistan’s cultural and political stability. It also has a severe impact on the humanitarian aspect of the country, as 200 hostages were taken in control of the BLA. The attack has been said to be one of the most severe the region has had in a long time, and it has set a fearful tone for what’s to come from this group. On top of that, because Pakistan claimed the attacks are tied to the Taliban, this affects their international relations as well. The accusations could add tensions between pakistan and afghanistan, which would be harmful to the entire region.
It is likely that the Pakistani government will tighten their security efforts and keep their military on high alert, as well as ensuring surveillance and safety on transportation routes (trains). It is possible that they could continue to deflect their own internal issues and continue to put the blame on other, surrounding countries, which would indefinitely cause tension and possibly conflict between Pakistan and their neighbors. The BLA is likely to attempt to gain as much attention from international actors as possible, in hopes of supporting their cause as separatists. I would have to assume this is not their last attack on civilians, as the event has already gained attention, just as they wanted.
This event clearly displays the issues of human rights and the effects of terrorism on less fortunate countries, especially in Central Asia. Pakistan has had issues with their human rights and humanitarian violations for a long time, and the taking, injuring, and killing of hostages by a non-governmental terrorist organization certainly highlights that. It also affects their own national security, especially if the Taliban takes any personal offense to Pakistan’s claims against them. The increase of militarization from the government could be seen as a threat, however, to the BLA, which could end up causing even worse internal tensions and more human rights violations in the future.