BALOCHISTAN is a mini Pakistan, and Pakistan is a mega Balochistan. In his book Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall states, “There is no Pakistan without Balochistan.” Viewing Balochistan solely through the narrow lens of geopolitics has led to impoverishment, unemployment and intrastate conflict.
Recently, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, former Chief Minister of Balochistan, stated that Gwadar Port was primarily built for military purposes and that no cargo planes would land at the New Gwadar International Airport because it was specifically designed for military fighter jets—illustrating how the province is treated through a geopolitical framework. Had the state learned from the previous four insurgencies, the fifth insurgency, which has now lasted two decades, could have been prevented from escalating. The ruling elite must introspect and seriously consider Balochistan’s geo-economic potential to address the ongoing insurgency. Unlocking the province’s vast economic opportunities requires a fresh reassessment.
The agriculture sector is the backbone of Balochistan’s economy. The province is called the “fruit basket of Pakistan,” producing 90 percent of the country’s cherries grapes, and almonds 60 percent of its apricots, peaches and pomegranates. The province also produces nearly 70 percent of country’s date production and 34 percent of its apples. The Makran division alone is believed to have been producing around 425,000 tons of dates annually. Sadly, despite this massive production, the province still lacks a substantial share in the national export of dates. Providing subsidies to farmers, modernizing the agriculture sector addressing water shortages will further boost fruit yield. More than 11.77 million acres of land in the province still remain uncultivated and barren. Awaran district is called the onion capital of Pakistan. By providing incentives and basic infrastructure, electricity to the formers and building small dams near the major rivers will be a game changer for the exporting of district onions to the international markets.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism sectors contributed $8.3 trillion to the global economy and supported 313 million jobs in 2017. Balochistan, with its exceptional landscapes and historical sites, holds immense potential to become a major tourist hub for foreign and domestic tourists, improving Pakistan’s soft power and economy. Key attractions include the Mehrgarh Civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and Noshki’s desert landscape. Ziarat, the coldest district, houses Quaid-e-Azam’s residency and the world’s second-largest juniper forest, making it a prime summer destination. Hazar Ganji Chiltan National Park in Quetta and Hingol National Park, Pakistan’s largest, offer opportunities for wildlife tourism. The province also has potential for railway tourism, with sites like the Nani-Mandar Hindu temple supporting religious tourism. Balochistan’s tourism sector spans eco-tourism, cultural tourism, maritime tourism and adventure tourism. With improved accessibility, infrastructure and promotion, tourism can drive economic growth and social change in the region.
Balochistan accounts nearly 52 percent of Pakistan’s sheep percent of camels, and 22 percent of goats respectively. The livestock sector provides jobs to approximately 66 percent of households in arid regions where crop cultivation is almost impossible. The province possesses 40 percent of Pakistan’s livestock population and its 70 percent of population directly or indirectly connected to the sector. The 70 percent peoples’ socio-economic conditions is likely to be improved under CPEC by making significant investments in the livestock sector. Introducing innovations, coping challenges like inadequate water and fodder supplies, insufficient access to veterinary services, including scarce grazing pastures, and modernizing marketing strategies require serious efforts.
Balochistan’s coastal areas encompass 750 km from Goth Haji Alano on the eastern border with Sindh province to Jiwani on the western border with Iran’s Gwadar Bay. These areas are valuable assets for blue economy. The fisheries sector in these regions has not been fully capitalized.70% marine life of Pakistan is in coastal zone of Balochistan having non-living marine resources, such as minerals, oil reserves shale gas, hydrocarbons and gravel. Fisheries in Balochistan nearly account for up to 70% of local employment in coastal areas with marine fishing capacity of $500 million that could potentially reach to $100 billion.
The province is rich in natural resources, including natural gas, black pearls, copper, chromite, gold, oil and precious stones. It possesses 5.87 billion tons of copper, the highest exploration rate in the world, with 5.6 billion tons of copper and 20 million ounces of gold and silver. It also has 217 million tons of coal and 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. However, mineral extraction remains a contentious issue. Despite its resource wealth, poverty persists and local communities see little benefit. Many of Pakistan’s most valuable minerals are located in impoverished regions like Balochistan and ex-FATA, yet they are processed abroad, yielding minimal dividends for the local population. The State must implement effective mining operations by prioritizing local engagement and ensuring federal policies protect the rights of indigenous people. Balochistan ranks low on various development indices, with per capita earnings below $1,000—the lowest in the region—highlighting the urgent need for economic reforms.
Pakistan in 2022 shifted NSP (National Security Policy (2022-2026) from geo-politics to geo-economics, paying much attention to regional connectivity, tackling climate change and citizen-centric approach. The non-implementation of NSP since 2022 triggered border skirmishes with three neighbouring countries – India, Afghanistan and Iran – overlooking the significance of the geo-economic dividends of Pakistan. Balochistan requires greater attention on its geo-economic potential. The geo-politics and geo-economics are the two sides of the same coin. Solely depending on geo-politics in Balochistan has backfired, prolonged the fifth insurgency, disillusioned the youth and lagged the province far behind in human developments. By harnessing geo-economic potential of the province, the country is likely to promote regional connectivity, eroding the insurgency, engaging with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee BYC contributing to the success of CPEC.
—The lecturer teaches IR at the University of Balochistan UOB Quetta.
(bareach87@gmail.com)
