On Nawab Akbar Bugti’s death anniversary, terrorist groups unleashed a wave of violence across Balochistan for twenty hours. These terrorists seized control of roads, destroyed vehicles, and dragged innocent people off buses to murder them. They attacked military and paramilitary camps, and even destroyed railway bridges. Women were also used as suicide bombers in this heinous act, which the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for. The Majeed Brigade also claimed participation in the attacks.
According to figures released by these militant groups, more than 150 terrorists participated in the operation, all of whom have reportedly been neutralized by Pakistani security forces. On closer inspection, it appears that the terrorists aimed to demonstrate their ability to sever Balochistan’s land and rail connections with the rest of Pakistan. The destruction of railway bridges was intended to cut off rail links, while road seizures aimed to disrupt land connections. Air connectivity is already limited, and the targeting of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes suggests that CPEC is a primary target for these groups.
The BLA and BLF terrorists targeted unarmed civilians, including women and children, which is a blatant violation of international law and human rights. According to military sources, this operation is a sign of the terrorists’ desperation. Prior to this latest wave of violence, the Baloch Solidarity Council had initiated a public campaign focusing on the issue of missing persons. However, the council’s political handling prevented the separatist militant groups from exploiting the situation for violence. The security forces exercised restraint and avoided violence during the council’s public demonstrations.
It is now evident that wherever public demonstrations occurred, terrorist attacks followed. In my opinion, this connection needs to be thoroughly investigated. The terrorists are enemies of Pakistan, particularly of Balochistan’s people and its development projects. The state and the government of Pakistan will not be intimidated by such cowardly attacks. Law enforcement agencies will respond with full force to these actions.
The terrorists have martyred innocent and unarmed Pakistani citizens, yet so-called human rights activists and civil society representatives remain silent. People like Imaan Mazari, Mah Rung Baloch, and Sami Baloch have neither condemned the terrorist attacks in Balochistan nor expressed sorrow over the unjust killings of innocent people. Even the so-called liberal brigade of the country is eerily silent. My question is, shouldn’t such people also be held accountable? The justice system should scrutinize the background, objectives, and goals of these people before accepting their petitions, as the situation has reached a critical point.
We should not wait for condemnation from these so-called organizations and individuals for the innocent victims in Balochistan, as they have never condemned the killing of innocent civilians before. The murder of Punjabis has never been condemned either. Punjabis have been specifically targeted in this latest wave of violence. It is now clear that the BLA, Majeed Brigade, and their supporting civil organizations are two sides of the same coin, just as the Afghan Taliban and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are two sides of the same coin, with their political allies acting as proxies.
The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) correctly identified this issue when he called these individuals proxies for terrorists. However, some of our friends were confused then and still are. In their opinion, these individuals are human rights advocates. But I always believed that terrorism was hiding within the human rights camp. Leniency towards them is a poison for Pakistan, and today this has been proven.
There is also the question of why our intelligence agencies did not detect the terrorists’ preparations for such a large-scale operation in time. Why were we not able to dismantle their network in time? This aspect also requires attention. I hope the military leadership is considering this issue. Additionally, there is a need to increase the number of military, paramilitary, and police forces in Balochistan and to equip them with modern weapons and training.
Now, the case of the female suicide bomber “Mahal” also presents a challenge for our justice system and human rights organizations. Mahal Baloch targeted a military camp as a suicide bomber the other day. In 2023, our security agencies had arrested her on charges of being a suicide bomber, and a suicide vest was recovered from her. However, human rights organizations raised a hue and cry, claiming she was innocent and unjustly accused.
Protests were organized internationally against her arrest. Despite the pressure, the security agencies stood by their claim that she was linked to a terrorist group and that a suicide vest was indeed recovered from her. However, our justice system acquitted her. Now, she has proven to be a suicide bomber. What will the justice system say now? And what will those human rights advocates who campaigned for this suicide bomber have to say? Therefore, turning terrorists into human rights issues and providing them shelter under the guise of human rights is nothing but enmity towards the country.
I believe that now the military and security agencies should be allowed to conduct a full-scale operation against terrorists and their facilitators in Balochistan. This must no longer be turned into a human rights issue. Enough is enough. What happened in Balochistan was not just terrorism; it was an attack on Pakistan. The enemy has tested us, and they will attack again.