BALOCHISTAN - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Exponential Rise of Sectarianism
The rivalry between nationalist and Islamist parties that emerged during Ziaul-Haq’s
regime and continued under his successors was not an ideological
struggle. The ideological façade was, first and foremost, an attempt by military
regimes to break ethnic identities and centralize power.
Similarly, Baloch nationalists rejected the Islamization process much less for
its ideological content than because they rightly perceived it as part of a larger
scheme to isolate individuals and make them more amenable to Islamabad’s
policies. The rejection of Islamization in Balochistan was primarily a rejection
of centralization and of central dominance, not of Islamic doctrine per se.
However, Islamization is currently experiencing a qualitative
change in Balochistan. Amid the state of anarchy in
the province and led by the Deobandi madrassa network,
radicalization is on the rise and sectarian groups have
stepped up their activities in the region. The number of
sectarian killings has increased almost exponentially over
the past few years in a province traditionally known for its
deeply entrenched secularism.
A strong Taliban presence in Balochistan developed
under Musharraf and in connection with the MMA government.
The province is also increasingly becoming a
nexus of sectarian outfits. Afghan and Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban
Balochistan), al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Janghvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Imamia
Student Organization, and Sipah-e-Muhammad are said to have established
presences in the province. 61 Their presence is partly the result of Pakistani
security agencies pushing them there from Punjab, partly a result of a vast
network of Deobandi madrassas, and partly a consequence of the Islamization
policies pursued by the federal state since the 1970s. At the same time, some
analysts credit the Afghan refugee camps in the province as a key source of
recruits for the Taliban. 62
Balochistan’s sectarian groups continue to multiply, fragment, and collaborate
at a dramatic pace. The Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan has a large support base
in Balochistan. Although banned twice by the government, it remains intact in
the province and provides ground support for Lashkar-e-Janghvi terrorists. The
group seems to operate as two different outfits, the Usman Kurd group and
the Qari Hayi group. Some factions of the defunct Jaish-e-Mohammad seem
to have established an operational relationship with Lashkar-e-Janghvi, while
a large number of Harakat-ul-Mujadeen and Harakat Jihad-e-Islami militants
are said to have joined the group. The Imamia Student Organization, influential
among Shia youth as well as in mainstream Shia politics, seems to play a
role in sectarian violence as well. 63
Frederic Grare | 17
Baloch nationalists rejected the Islamization
process much less for its ideological
content than because they rightly
perceived it as part of a larger scheme
to isolate individuals and make them
more amenable to Islamabad’s policies.