(Commonwealth_India) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which is fighting for Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan, has recently claimed responsibility for a wave of coordinated attacks across the province.
In what appears to be a public statement issued on Sunday—though its authenticity has not been independently verified by sources such as the Hindustan Times—the BLA strongly critiqued Pakistan’s political and military strategies. The group accused Islamabad of using peace rhetoric as camouflage for aggression, describing such overtures as mere tactical deceit aimed at gaining temporary respite or misleading international observers. The BLA, addressing the broader South Asian geopolitical landscape and directly addressing India in the midst of an ongoing ceasefire established following a separate conflict known as Operation Sindoor, cautioned against accepting Pakistan’s discourse on peace and brotherhood. According to the statement, “Every talk of peace, ceasefire, and brotherhood from Pakistan is merely a deception, a war tactic and a temporary ruse.”
The BLA’s commentary extended beyond its grievances with the Pakistani state to call for a recalibration of international policy. The group condemned Pakistan as a sanctuary for global terrorist networks, specifically naming groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which have long been accused of carrying out terrorist operations in the region. The BLA urged the international community, as well as India, to take definitive and uncompromising action against what it described as Pakistan’s state-sponsored extremism. Warning that failure to curb Pakistan’s influence could lead to global instability, the group stated that continued tolerance of Pakistan’s actions may eventually “lead to the ruin of the entire world.”
Refuting long-standing allegations that it serves as a proxy force for foreign powers, the BLA emphasized its independence and strategic agency. It presented itself as a self-determined actor committed to the Baloch nationalist cause, asserting that it is “neither a pawn nor a silent spectator,” but rather a “dynamic and decisive party” with a vision for reshaping the future of South Asia. This statement signals what the BLA views as a shifting geopolitical order, one in which its role as an insurgent force is not merely reactive but central to the regional transformation it envisions.
The roots of the BLA’s armed struggle lie in the contentious history of Balochistan’s integration into Pakistan in 1948, a move that was widely rejected by large sections of the Baloch population. Since then, the Baloch people have voiced deep-seated grievances about political exclusion, economic exploitation, and systematic state repression. Although Balochistan is rich in natural resources—including gas, minerals, and access to the strategically important Arabian Sea—local communities remain impoverished and underdeveloped. The BLA and other Baloch nationalist groups argue that Islamabad extracts these resources without fair compensation or development benefits for the local population, perpetuating a cycle of inequality and marginalization.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented serious abuses in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and intimidation of journalists, students, and political activists. Under the pretext of national security, there are reports of the abduction or killing of thousands of Baloch civilians. Labeling victims as “terrorists” or “foreign agents” often leaves their families in a state of limbo, devoid of justice or information. The discovery of mass graves in various districts has intensified these concerns, highlighting a humanitarian crisis that continues to deepen distrust between the Baloch population and the Pakistani state.
Against this backdrop, the BLA states that its armed campaign is a legitimate struggle for national liberation. By positioning itself as an autonomous force capable of inflicting damage on state structures and rallying international opinion, the group seeks to elevate its status from a regional insurgent outfit to a prominent actor in the ongoing reconfiguration of South Asia’s political and security dynamics.
