A review of the recent FT report on the Chinese talking to Baluch insurgents (See Post ) by a Washington DC author; which had this comment on Twitter from another SME:
Very useful, nuanced and interesting piece on China and Balochistan by @MalikSirajAkbar in light of reports of recent talks between Beijing and Baloch militants
The article starts with:
Both China and separatist Baloch nationalists in Balochistan have categorically denied a recent Financial Times report that revealed Beijing’s five-year-long covert contacts with the Baloch separatists to end the ongoing insurgency in the country’s largest province.
It ends with:
There is a need for Islamabad to step back and review the current political and security strategy. The government will have to accommodate local perspectives, promote community policing and hold consultation with all stakeholders to win the trust of the people. The insurgency erupted and then thrived for more than a decade in the absence of shrewd public policy. The Chinese might help Pakistan build roads and bridges, but they can’t teach Islamabad how to understand its own people, their grievances and perspectives.
Link:http://tns.thenews.com.pk/beijing-balochistan/