ON 4 January 2025, the banned terrorist organization Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) once again demonstrated its disregard for humanity. A tragic attack on a passenger bus in Turbat left four innocent civilians dead and several injured. The victims included Noor Khan of Dasht, Abdul Wahab of Gwadar, Ijaz of Gishkor, and Liaqat Ali of Sohbatpur. These were ordinary citizens with families, hopes and dreams cruelly cut short by a group which claims to fight for the rights of the Baloch people.
While the BLA has brazenly claimed responsibility for this heinous act, it also exposes its blatant hypocrisy. They posture as defenders of Baloch rights yet continually target the very people they claim to protect. This isn’t a struggle for rights, rather it’s a campaign of terror. The BLA has long thrived on a narrative of being the torchbearer of Baloch autonomy.
Yet their actions paint a starkly different picture. Over the past year alone, they have killed a large number of innocent Baloch citizens. One glaring example of their atrocities occurred on November 9, 2024, when the BLA executed a suicide attack, killing over ten innocent Balochs. Each incident strips away the veneer of their self-proclaimed mission, revealing an organization steeped in deception and violence.
While the BLA publicly claims to champion Baloch rights, evidence suggests that their real loyalty lies elsewhere. Operating under the influence of foreign entities, they perpetuate instability and chaos in Balochistan. By targeting their people, they serve the strategic interests of external powers, undermining Pakistan’s sovereignty and development. This isn’t a liberation movement; it’s a betrayal of the Baloch community.
The toll of BLA’s violence goes beyond the tragic loss of lives. Their attacks disrupt livelihoods, destroy infrastructure and instill fear in communities. Families live in perpetual fear of becoming the next target. Markets, schools and hospitals are no longer safe spaces, turning everyday life into a battlefield.
Moreover, the BLA’s actions hinder developmental projects aimed at uplifting the region. They target workers involved in infrastructure and economic projects, effectively sabotaging opportunities that could bring prosperity to Balochistan. This is not liberation; it’s oppression, imposed by those claiming to be saviours. The people of Balochistan deserve peace, stability and progress, not the chaos the BLA sows.
The government and security forces remained steadfast in their commitment to dismantling this organization. Education, healthcare and economic opportunities must be prioritized to ensure that the BLA’s hollow rhetoric finds no audience. The BLA’s actions over the years have proven one thing beyond doubt: their so-called liberation struggle is nothing more than a mask for terror and chaos. Their victims are not oppressors or occupiers, they are innocent civilians, many of them Baloch. Their agenda is not autonomy, it’s destruction. It is time to expose the BLA for what it truly is: an enemy of the people it claims to protect. By rejecting their narrative and investing in the progress of Balochistan, we can ensure that their reign of terror ends. The Baloch people deserve more than this, it’s time they get it.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
