Post-election protests are gripping Balochistan, with Baloch, Pashtun, and Hazara nationalist parties uniting against widespread election rigging, forming a front. Historians note that the last transparent elections in Balochistan occurred in 1971 when the National Awami Party won, but their government was dismissed after nine months, leading to a massacre in Balochistan by the army.
The ruling forces have transformed Balochistan into a political laboratory, diminishing the role of political parties. Nationalist parties acknowledge that army influence is shaping decisions, while death squads, religious fundamentalists, and the drug mafia are imposed on the Baloch nation.
Despite past election rigging, the current elections have seen the election of totally unfamiliar individuals in constituencies, causing disconnection between representatives and constituents. Nationalist parties are protesting, but public indifference persists due to perceived expediency in their policies.
While Baloch nationalist parties claim to champion national rights and coastal resources defense, they struggle to address basic economic issues and remain silent on serious concerns like forced disappearances and state repression. This has led to growing alienation from Pakistan’s parliamentary politics in Balochistan, diminishing the significance of nationalist parliamentary parties.