Mr. Musharraf's Other War

The New York Times

February 23, 2006
Editorial

If the Bush administration is wondering why the Pakistani Army has been losing the war against Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the northwestern frontier, it may want to look south. Pakistan's military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has increasingly been diverting his armed forces to quell a growing insurgency in Baluchistan, the gas-rich province that borders Iran and the Arabian Sea.

For years there has been disquiet in Baluchistan, Pakistan's largest province and home to almost five million members of the Baluch ethnic minority. A succession of Pakistani governments have helped themselves to Baluchistan's natural resources while denying its people their full share of foreign aid and development funds. This has fed a separatist movement by Baluch nationalists.

The conflict is heating up: Baluch tribal groups have attacked gas plants, electricity lines and railway tracks. Last week, three Chinese engineers and their driver were killed. A Pakistani soldier was killed and five others hurt when their convoy was hit by rockets about 65 miles southeast of Quetta. All this comes just two months after Mr. Musharraf sent his army into Baluchistan because eight rockets were fired into the remote town of Kohlu while Mr. Musharraf was visiting.

Clearly, the Baluch separatists are not Boy Scouts. In fact, many are warlords who have preyed on ordinary Baluch residents and restricted the movements and education of women. Many of these tribal leaders have resisted attempts by the government and local aid groups to build much-needed schools and hospitals.

But it would behoove President Bush, while preparing to visit Pakistan next month, to encourage Mr. Musharraf to endorse, as a first step, an agreement reached last year between a Baluch tribal leader and some members of Parliament. The pact would give Baluchistan increased autonomy.

The Musharraf army has been largely equipped by the United States. Just as America's image was helped in the region when American Chinook helicopters flew over Kashmir to give aid to that Pakistani province after the major earthquake last October, so, too, is that image damaged when American-supplied Cobra helicopters and F-16's attack civilians in Baluchistan. That's no way to win the hearts and minds of anyone.

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