The Pakistani state’s control over its western borderland has never been absolute.
Last week, the horrific hijacking of a train by Baloch separatists showed that what little authority it had is fraying. Four soldiers died retaking the Jaffar Express; 21 of the hundreds of hostages had already been killed by the militants, some of whom may have been in the military as well.
Sparsely populated Balochistan has long resented Islamabad’s rule. But separatist activity has intensified in recent years, particularly after Pakistan invited Chinese companies to develop Gwadar port and exploit local minerals. One such organization, the Baloch Liberation Army, claimed this attack.
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