The Fight for Balochistan: Erasing the BLA’s Terror Network

Muhammad Ibrahim

Balochistan, the largest province in Pakistan by area, has been the habitat of the nefarious activities of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a terrorist outfit that is posing as a separatist movement. Unfortunately, BLA’s continuous guerrilla campaign of violence, mainly attacking innocent Punjabi civilians, has not failed to sow seeds of discord but also shatter the very stability and development of the region.  What compounds to this turmoil is that individuals such as Dr. Mahrang Baloch, whose family ties and perhaps involvement with separatist agendas as well as exploitation by the outside entities like India and some Western interests, have made the situation worse.

The Balochistan Liberation Army’s attacks, including the Jaffar Express hijacking, expose its brutality and terrorist character.

Several brutal attacks on Punjabi civilians are part of the BLA’s history from a deep-seated animosity to not caring about life. In numerous orchestrated simultaneous attacks BLA killed many people, most of them Punjabi labourers who had nothing to do with any political conflicts. These are not disparate incidents but a calculated strategy to terrorize non-Baloch communities out of the province. Any such ethnic cleansing tactics are abhorrent, and indefensible, that just show the true face of the BLA as a terrorist outfit, without any legitimate cause.

The March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express is an obvious example of BLA barbarism. Militants on armed attack ambushed the passenger train and took about 440 hostages, mostly women and children. The ordeal lasted hours, during which innocent passengers were tormented beyond anyone’s imagination. This act of savagery did not only cost the lives of innocent people but also revealed the total lack of respect for human dignity and international norms of the BLA.

Mahrang Baloch claims herself as a human rights activist who is fighting for Baloch people. But on the other side, her background and family ties does raise serious questions about her true intentions. Her father’s name was Abdul Ghaffar Langove who was said to be a known as BLA commander who was killed in infighting among militant groups in 2011.

Photographic evidence on social media plateform has surfaced showing Mahrang Baloch at her father’s grave, with the BLA flag—which is a symbol of this terrorist organization. This act not only represents the personal endorsement of the BLA’s violent ideology but is also a clear slap in the face to the many victims of BLA terrorism. Such actions are indisputable and represent a serious issue in the role she plays in the promotion of separatist sentiment.

Furthermore, Mahrang Baloch’s actions have sometimes clouded the difference between activism and militancy. Her alleged involvement in terrorism is further highlighted by her arrest during a protest in Quetta. Activism, though a fundamental right, becomes illegitimate and perverts a valuable purpose if activism links to symbols and terrorist organisations’ acts.

Mahrang Baloch’s symbolic endorsement of BLA ideology raises serious concerns about the blurred line between activism and militancy.

The situation already worsens further in Balochistan by interference of the foreign actors like, especially the Indian intelligence agency (RAW) and some western interests. RAW has always extended material support to the BLA to destabilize the region and to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan. The pattern of external interference is hard to ignore, and it is concrete evidence of Indian interference. Mahrang Baloch has also won the favor of human rights organizations as a geopolitical tool or a human rights cover. Exploitation of this level contributes in not only delegitimizing real activism but also adding to the cycle of violence and mistrust.

To tackle the Balochistan crisis, we need a multifaceted approach of eliminating terrorism, empowering and raising ethnic harmony, and development. Now is the time for the Pakistani government to go after the BLA’s networks and arrest its members. At the same time, Baloch people have their grievances which should be addressed by the inclusive policies that provide the social and economic development to the people. We should totally oppose foreign interference and need international cooperation to defeat the outside entities seeking rebel agenda.

Foreign support continues to fuel separatist violence and destabilize Pakistan’s sovereignty in Balochistan.

A blight on Balochistan’s history is BLA’s reign of terror in the province that includes ruthless targeting of Punjabi civilians and heinous acts of the Jaffar Express hijacking. Additional individuals like Mahrang Baloch who have become implicated in separatist movements, as well as other actions that seem to support terrorist organizations, further complicate the road to peace. The Pakistani state and Society must take a vigorous action to eradicate the scourge of Terrorism and work towards a unified, peaceful and prosperous Balochistan.

The Author, Muhammad Ibrahim is an independent researcher and analyst and a student of International Relations at National Defence University, Islamabad. His expertise lies in analyzing foreign policy of great power, War, and its implications on global politics.