Insurgency in Balochistan

Baloch separatists and various Islamist militant groups are waging an insurgency against the governments of Iran in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan and Pakistan in the province of Balochistan. Rich in natural resources, Balochistan is the largest, least populated and least developed province in Pakistan. Armed groups demand greater political autonomy and control of the province's natural resources. Baloch separatists have attacked civilians of other ethnicities throughout the province.

In the 2010s, attacks against the Shia community by sectarian groups—though not always directly related to the political struggle—rose, contributing to tensions in Balochistan. In Pakistan, the ethnic separatist insurgency is low-scale but ongoing mainly in southern Balochistan, alongside sectarian and religiously motivated militancy concentrated mainly in northern and central Balochistan.

In Pakistan's Balochistan province, insurgencies by Baloch nationalists have been fought in 1948–50, 1958–60, 1963–1969 and 1973–1977, with an ongoing low-level insurgency beginning in 2003. In recent times, separatists have also accused their own groups of being involved in widespread crime—including robbery and rape against Baloch women—with some claiming that what started as an idealistic political fight for their people's rights has turned into gangs extorting, kidnapping and even raping locals. Baloch militants have taken some reconciliation offers from the government and offered to hand in their weapons.

Baloch separatists argue they are economically marginalized and poor compared to the rest of Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army, designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, is the most widely known Baloch separatist group. Since 2000 it has conducted numerous deadly attacks on Pakistani military troops, police, journalists, civilians and education institutions. Other, now defunt, separatist groups include Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LeB), the Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF), and the Baloch Waja Army (BWJ).

Human rights activists have accused both nationalist militant groups and successive governments of Iran and Pakistan of human rights abuses in its suppression of the insurgency.