Baloch Unrest in Pakistan: A Challenge for National Security

Abstract

Pakistan is faced with various security challenges, among which the Baloch unrest remains one of the most significant threats to national security. Baloch militant groups challenged the writ of the state and posed serious threats to the political, economic, social and cultural sectors of the state. The primary aim of this study is to identify the major causes of Baloch unrest in Balochistan and examine its impacts on the national security of Pakistan. The study employed a qualitative research methodology grounded in the philosophical perspective of constructivism/interpretivism. Constructivism observes reality in subjective ways and interprets the understanding of those concerned with a particular issue. It assumes that people develop their own independent understandings of the world around them and the events occurring within it. The data were collected through interviews as well as the official state sources. The main findings of the study reveal that the fifth phase of the Baloch unrest has reached at the extreme edge, where militants are continuously targeting the state's installations, vulnerable sites, and local masses. Baloch militants have been supported by regional and global actors to promote instability to achieve their desired goals.