ABSTRACT
This chapter studies various militant insurgencies that erupted in Balochistan between 1947 and 1977. Focusing largely on the 1973–77 insurgency, the chapter shows how this was far from a secessionist movement and tells how it was geared towards re-constituting the Pakistan state as a ‘socialist federation.’ Drawing upon insurgent groups’ bulletins, the chapter highlights their objectives and their politics vis-à-vis both the Baloch people and the state of Pakistan. It also brings into focus the role played by the Pakistan military directly in Balochistan and its relationship with the Bhutto government and discusses the centrality of military action in militarizing the Baloch national movement, leading eventually to the development of secessionist sentiments among the Baloch people.
