ISLAMABAD: Bapsi Sidhwa, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated writers and a pioneering voice in English-language literature, passed away on Wednesday in Houston, Texas, at the age of 86, according to media reports quoting her family.

Born in Karachi in 1938 and raised in Lahore, Sidhwa belonged to Pakistan’s Parsi community and became an influential literary figure with her keen social observations and vivid storytelling.

Her novel “Cracking India,” a poignant account of the 1947 Partition through the eyes of a young girl, was adapted into the internationally acclaimed film “Earth” by Deepa Mehta in 1998.

The deceased writer also left an imprint over readers in other parts of the world with interest in both literature and South Asian politics.

“One of Pakistan’s greatest writers and one of my last connections to my father … has died,” Iona Italia, managing editor of Quillette, an online publication focusing on long-form analysis and cultural commentary, said in a social media post.

“‘Cracking India’ is the best account of Partition ever written,” she added. “RIP Bapsi Sidhwa, Parsi lady of renown.”

Pakistani politician Khurram Dastgir-Khan highlighted her role as a trailblazer in Pakistani literature, saying, “RIP Bapsi Sidhwa. Pakistan-born novelist. Trail-blazer. Author of ‘The Crow Eaters’ & ‘The Ice Candy Man.’ Claimed English as an authentic Pakistani language.”

Asad Rahim Khan, a lawyer and writer, also hailed her contributions.

“Bapsi Sidhwa passes away,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “She was proof of concept that amazing English-language novels could be set in Lahore…and her books sparkled with affection for her characters and country. A true trailblazer.”

Known for her wit and incisive critique of social norms, Sidhwa’s works remain an essential part of South Asian literature curricula worldwide.

Her other notable novels include “The Bride” and “An American Brat,” which explore issues of tradition, modernity and the diaspora experience. Sidhwa moved to the United States in the 1980s but continued to write passionately about Pakistan.

Madiha Afzal, a think tank scholar at Washington’s Brookings Institution, shared the news of Sidhwa’s death with a brief excerpt from her writings on Lahore, reminiscing about the gardens and fragrances of the city.

Zebunnisa Burki, a Pakistani journalist, summed up her influence, saying: “Bapsi Sidhwa: the OG desi writer. May she rest in words.”

The deceased writer’s funeral arrangements are planned in Houston.

QUETTA: Pakistan’s volatile Balochistan province witnessed a dramatic surge in militant violence in 2024, as government data exclusively obtained by Arab News on Wednesday revealed nearly 300 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in over 550 attacks reported across various districts of the province this year.

Most attacks were carried out by Baloch separatist groups, primarily the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which also launched coordinated assaults, including suicide bombings, targeting Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals in the southern region of the country.

Balochistan, sharing porous borders with Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west, has experienced a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist and other armed groups for the last two decades.

These groups accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s mineral resources without benefitting its people, claims the government denies, asserting it has initiated several development projects to bring the region on par with other provinces.

“296 people including the civilians and soldiers of Pakistan’s armed forces were killed and more than 500 were injured in 563 attacks reported in Balochistan from January 1st to December 20th, 2024,” the provincial home department’s annual report, exclusively obtained by Arab News, said.

“44 percent of the total attacks were reported against Pakistan’s armed forces operating in Balochistan including the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan, Police, Levies, and Pakistan Coast Guards, while 81 settlers (people from other provinces) and 37 civilians were killed in dozens of attacks this year,” it added.

The official data revealed that February and August, months when Pakistan held general elections and celebrated its independence, were the deadliest, with 187 attacks of varying nature and scale reported across Balochistan, claiming 119 lives.

Last month, Pakistan announced a “comprehensive military operation” against Baloch separatists and their hideouts in the mountainous region following a deadly suicide bombing at the crowded railway station in Quetta, which killed more than two dozen people, including Pakistan Army soldiers.

Shahid Rind, the provincial spokesperson, confirmed the annual number of attacks and casualties while speaking to Arab News.

“The provincial government has been implementing the decisions made in the federal apex committee meeting in November alongside the objectives of its own provincial action plan to counter this new wave of terrorism in Balochistan,” he said.

“The provincial administration, together with federal and provincial law enforcing agencies, will move as the whole of the government to impart a sense security among the masses, foreign investors and business community,” he continued.

POLITICAL PROCESS

Speaking to Arab News, Abdul Basit, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, called 2024 a year of offensive guerrilla warfare from defensive guerrilla warfare by the Baloch militant groups.

“The separatist groups showed a new trend of coordinated attacks and taking over the provincial highways for hours,” he said.

“Balochistan needs a genuine political process for long-term peace because the ethnic Baloch nation has lost trust in the political process,” he continued. “Instead of empowering dummy leadership in Balochistan, the state has to work with genuine leadership that has roots in the masses.”

Safdar Sial, a research analyst at the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), agreed with him, pointing out that the Pakistani authorities had mainly relied on “kinetic operations” and the frequency of military actions was likely to intensify further.

However, he added that it was important to adopt the political approach to prevent recruitment by the militant organizations.

“Government should take soft and political measures to alienate Baloch insurgents from the Baloch masses,” he said.