Missile tests in Balochistan

Editorial

Earlier this week, Pakistani forces once again tested one of their newly developed weapon systems, namely “Ababeel,” on Baloch soil. According to information shared by the ISPR, it was a successful missile launch, but ground reports suggest something else. Many pieces of the missile were almost about to damage the populated areas in Dera Bugti and the Rajanpor areas of Balochistan. People were forcibly arrested and displaced from their homes due to the so-called missile launch, which angered the Baloch people. Many of them took to social media to express their anger over the missile tests on populated areas.

Before the launch of the “Ababeel” missile a few days back, on October 6th, a huge blast occurred in Dera Gazi Khan, endangering the lives of thousands of people living in the city. The controlled media did not report the actual reasons behind the blast, but it occurred in military-controlled areas. This shows how much military equipment of the state machinery has been deployed to Balochistan.

It is not the first time that Pakistani forces have tested their missiles in Balochistan, but every time the state of Pakistan has used Baloch land for missile tests, showing no concern for the negative impacts on the Baloch masses due to these failed tests. A few years ago, in 2018, one of the missile tests failed in Rajanpor, resulting in multiple casualties. However, this did not seem important to them because it happened in the Baloch people’s homeland. Testing missiles near populated areas is a crime, but the state of Pakistan does not adhere to any international law when it comes to Balochistan, and the international community blindly watches the security forces commit such crimes and even aids them with more funding to continue their actions against oppressed nations.

Whether it’s an atomic bomb or missile tests, the state of Pakistan consistently chooses Balochistan for these experiments and primarily targets populated areas. The radiations from these missiles have long-lasting effects on ordinary people with no access to basic health facilities. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to migrate from their birthplaces due to these missile blasts in Balochistan, resulting in various diseases affecting people in mountainous areas. The tests of atomic bombs in the Chagai region of Balochistan still have enduring impacts on the people; thousands have been affected by cancer and other diseases due to the radiation from the blasts. However, the army appears indifferent to the local population while conducting these tests on a regular basis. For some time, Dera Gazi Khan has been a hotspot for these tests, causing the deaths of multiple people.

There are international laws regarding missile tests, but the Pakistani army does not believe in adhering to any international law when engaging with the Baloch land and masses. The Baloch people have long resisted the army’s actions in Balochistan, but they have done so with impunity and continue to receive military aid from Western countries. Western countries, including the United States of America, must reconsider their policies regarding the Pakistani state, which indiscriminately uses military aid against local populations.