The Baloch Students Organization (BSO; ; ) was a student organisation that campaigned for the students of Pakistan's Balochistan province. It was founded as a student movement on 26 November 1967 in Karachi and had remained the largest ethnic Baloch student body in the country. It was divided due to ideological differences. BSO – Pajjar and BSO – Mohiuddin are affiliated with the parliamentary framework of Pakistan.
However, in 2000, a college student named Allah Nazar Baloch, who would later go on to found and lead the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) militant group, created a radical breakaway faction—BSO – Azad—that advocated struggle for an independent Balochistan based on what he characterised as a pre-colonial Baloch "country". Notably, Bashir Zaib also rose through the ranks of BSO – Azad and served as its chairman for years before becoming the current leader of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militant group. The Pakistani government eventually banned the BSO – Azad on 15 March 2013, designating it as a terrorist organisation.
There was an alleged link between the BSO and India, with Pakistan accusing the Indian intelligence agency— the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) of having "assets" within the BSO, an allegation that was denied by India and activists in the BSO.
The Baloch Students Organization (BSO) has its origins in Warna Waninda Gal ("Youth Educational Forum") launched in 1961, three years after the Pakistan Army arrested the Khan of Kalat giving rise to Baloch nationalism. Abdul Hakeem Baloch was its first president. The stated objectives of the organization included "promoting Balochi language and literature and debating political conditions".Adnan Amir, Resistance and Splits Mark the Story of BSO, Viewpoint, 19 June 2014.
Another organization called the Baloch Students Educational Organization (BSEO) was founded by Baloch students in Karachi in 1962.
On 26 November 1967, after a three-day convention in Karachi, the two organizations merged into one forming the Baloch Students Organization (BSO). Nadeem F. Paracha, a senior columnist at Dawn, characterises it as a "left wing" organisation.Nadeem F. Paracha, When the doves cry, Dawn, 2 February 2012. In addition to the original aims of Warna Waninda Gal, the BSO also aimed to campaign for the abolition of the "one unit scheme" system and limited provincial autonomy for Balochistan. The group initially campaigned for improved educational facilities in Balochistan. Its demonstrations led to many arrests and the closure of student hostels. By 1969–1970, the BSO was sweeping student union elections in the Baloch majority areas of Balochistan and it was allied with the National Students Federation (NSF) in Karachi's universities and colleges.
History
Rise of nationalism: 1970–1977 Soon the organization got involved in the growing Baloch national movement, protesting against Ayub Khan's policies of political restriction and functional inequality which gave rise to widespread antagonism in the Baloch population. Spearheading the movement were the tribal elites, professional classes such as lawyers and doctors, and students. The student movement was supported by the "progressive" tribal leaders, Ataullah Mengal, Khair Bakhsh Marri, and Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, who were also leading members of the National Awami Party (NAP). The NAP consulted the BSO on all major issues. In early 1969, the organization conducted many demonstrations in Quetta, protesting the one unit scheme system and the tribal jirga system. They called for the release of political prisoners. Several leaders later went on to become guerrilla leaders during the 1970s. BSO leader Abdul Hayee Baloch contested the 1970 elections and got elected to the Pakistan National Assembly, as a member of the NAP.
Whereas the mainstream organization collaborated with the progressive tribal leaders, a faction was opposed to all forms of tribal privileges of the Sardars. They broke off into a separate splinter group Baloch Students Organization – Awami, and allied themselves to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Bhutto formed a tripartite alliance with the NAP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). The NAP and the BSO, being supporters of provincial autonomy, called for the release of Sheikh Mujibur "Bangabandhu" Rahman and the restoration of democracy, which earned the ire of the military government in Islamabad. After Bhutto came to power at the end of the war, he let the NAP-JUI coalition form a provincial government in Balochistan in April 1972. This was the first time that a "national" government was allowed to function in Balochistan. However, Bhutto dismissed it ten months later on what are seen as "trumped up" charges. Among the long list of reasons cited for the dismissal was the allegation that the government was allowing the "lawless behaviour" of the BSO. The dismissal was followed by the arrest of NAP leaders and the unleashing of military on the province.
The Bhutto government actions set off a four-year insurgency (1973–1977) in Balochistan. Many of the former BSO members participated in the guerrilla warfare against the state. One of the guerrilla bands was led by the former BSO leader Khair Jan Baloch. BSO activists in schools supplied guerrillas with money and materiel. The more militant members joined the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF). After four years of bloodshed, the insurgency came to end when Zia-ul-Haq came to power and declared a general amnesty. However, no meaningful change towards provincial autonomy occurred.
Fragmentation and reunification: 1977–2006 After his release from prison Ataullah Mengal went into exile and the remainder of the NAP split into several factions. The armed struggle against the Pakistani state was called off, leading the BSO to turn against the NAP. In 1978, it even dismissed its chairman Mueem Kahan Baloch on the grounds that he supported the NAP.
The BSO remained the leading student organisation in Balochistan's campuses, protesting against Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship. It also denounced the Islamist Afghan resistance against the Soviet troops backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia. In 1981, it joined the United Students Movement, an alliance of left-wing ethno-nationalist student groups opposing the Zia regime and the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba. Large numbers of BSO activists were imprisoned during this period, said to be 60% of all prisoners in Balochistan.
In 1984, the BSO – Awami merged back into the main BSO, following the request of Hameed Baloch, who was given death sentence for an attempted assassination of an Omani colonel. However, fragmentation of the Baloch political parties gave rise to parallel fragmentation in the BSO as well. Some of the groups arising through the fragmentation were: NameInformationBSO – SohbLed by Kahwar Baloch (1986–1990), allied to Progressive Youth Movement (PYM).BSO – YaseenLed by Yaseen Baloch (1988–1990), allied to Balochistan National Movement (BNM).BSO – Mengal(1990–1998), allied to BNM–Mengal and Balochistan National Party (BNP).BSO – Hayee(1990–2002), allied to BNM–Hayee.BSO – Aman(1998–2006), allied to BNP–Mengal.BSO – Star(1998–2003).BSO – Nadir Quddus(2002–2006), allied to the National Party (NP).BSO – AzadLed by Allah Nazar Baloch (2002–2003).BSO – MuttahidaFormed by a merger of BSO – Azad and BSO – Star, led by Imdad Baloch (2003–2006). In February 2006, noticing the fragmentation arising from political party affiliations, all the factions came together and united into a single organization. The resulting BSO eventually came to be called BSO – Azad ("free BSO"), signifying that it is not affiliated to any political party. However, the organization does support Khair Bakhsh Marri, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the armed struggle of Brahumdagh Bugti.Malik Siraj Akbar, The end of BSO?, unpublished article, 4 January 2009.
The National Party (NP) and Balochistan National Party (BNP) then started their own student wings and gave them the name of the BSO. They are referred to as BSO – Pajjar and BSO – Mohiuddin respectively.Zia Ur Rehman, Hunger strike, The Friday Times, 9 May 2014.
BSO – Azad is now considered the most influential political group in Balochistan.
BSO – Azad BSO – Azad was originally formed in 2002 from the members of BSO – Hayee who wanted to remain independent of political parties. According to some commentators, it advocated armed struggle for an independent Balochistan. Allah Nazar Baloch, who later became a separatist fighter, was its founder-chairman when he was still a medical student.Syed Shoaib Hasan, Analysis: Managing the Baloch insurgency, Dawn, 26 November 2014.
In 2003, BSO – Star, which was similarly made up of members seeking independence from political parties in BSO – Mengal, merged with BSO – Azad, and the combined organization was called BSO – Muttahida (or "BSO – United"). More often, it was simply called "the BSO", recognizing its claim to be the main students organization.UNPO on Extrajudicial Killings and Disappearances of Political Prisoners from West Balochistan, UNPO, 27 October 2005. Malik Baloch and Imdad Baloch served as its chairmen until 2005. In March 2005, Imdad Baloch, and other activists were abducted from a flat in Karachi by security forces and tortured.The War on the Baloch: An Interview with Meerain Baloch, Naked Punch, 9 November 2014.
In December 2005, the Balochistan conflict intensified with the Army starting operations in Dera Bugti district and Kohlu. Following this, the BSO – Aman (the affiliated faction of BSO – Mengal) led by Amanullah Baloch and BSO – Hayee led by Asif Baloch also merged with BSO – Muttihada forming a united BSO. Bashir Zaib Baloch served its chairman from 2006 to 2011. He was followed by Zahid Baloch, who was allegedly abducted by unidentified gunmen in March 2014.
The Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the National Party (NP), having lost their affiliated factions to the unified BSO, started new student wings and gave them the name of "BSO". The student wing of National Party (NP) is called BSO – Pajjar and that of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) is called BSO – Mohiuddin. The unified BSO now calls itself BSO – Azad to distinguish itself from these student wings. However, it is not to be confused with the original BSO – Azad started by Allah Nazar Baloch.Yousaf Ajab Baloch, Ban on BSO-Azad: Where is democracy…..?, Bolan Voice, 28 April 2013.
The original BSO – Azad is said to have been formed from the "most militant sections" of the BSO. It advocated radical struggle for "national liberation" and stood for full independence of Balochistan. After its consolidation by Allah Nazar Baloch in 2002, when he was a medical student, the group is said to have obtained wide support among the Baloch students. It was believed that groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) grew out of BSO – Azad. Senior columnist of Dawn, Nadeem F. Paracha, states that it was directly involved in the formation of insurgency groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Republican Army (BRA).