For 10 days in Pakistan recently, family members of 27 policemen killed in Balochistan sat on a protest, refusing to bury their dead till the government accepted their demands. Last week, their sit-in ended after the authorities agreed to set up a judicial commission to investigate two recent attacks — in Ziarat on July 6, in which the policemen were killed, and in Hanna Urak a day before, in which five civilians were killed — allegedly by Baloch militants. ‘Operation Shaban’ was also launched in response to the killing of the policemen, in which 129 “terrorists” have been killed since July 5, Pakistani authorities claim. This is the latest in a long history of bloodshed, militancy, and state repression in Balochistan, where Pakistan accuses India of fomenting trouble. Bordering Iran and Afghanistan, Balochistan is not just strategically important for Pakistan, but is also its richest state in terms of natural resources. Why, then, does conflict continue to simmer here? We explain, in five points. Partition roots of Balochistan problem When the British left the Indian …