Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has issued a grave warning to the international community, accusing Pakistan of escalating its campaign of violence in Balochistan through state-sponsored militias and collaboration with ISIS
Baloch claimed that the current wave of armed resistance in Balochistan is not a new event, but rather the continuation of a long-running battle for national independence. “From the days of resistance against British colonialism to the present-day defiance of Pakistani occupation, the Baloch nation has always defended its land, identity, and dignity,” he stated
According to the BNM chairman, the intensity and sophistication of Baloch guerrilla operations have increased, providing a huge challenge to Pakistan’s military. Sarmachars, or Baloch fighters, are now routinely disrupting military convoys and establishing checkpoints in remote locations, often with minimal interference from Pakistani forces
However, Baloch cautioned that Pakistan’s response has been characterised by ruthless vengeance against civilians. “The army’s inability to confront guerrilla resistance has led to a strategy of collective punishment, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, mutilations, and attacks on women and children
Baloch decried Pakistan’s military’s persistent reliance on clandestine “death squads,” criminal gangs allegedly supported by the country’s intelligence institutions. According to TBP, these gangs have long been utilised to suppress the Baloch national movement through abductions, targeted assassinations, and societal destabilisation.
What’s more alarming, he noted, is a recent shift to more openly sanctioned paramilitary violence. “Now these same death squad tactics are being rebranded under the banner of ‘peace militias’ operated by the provincial government,” Baloch said
He mentioned a recent raid in the Rakhni area, purportedly carried out by Aftab Bugti, the brother of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, that killed four Baloch fighters. “This is clear evidence that the state is relying more heavily on mafias, tribal gangs, and mercenaries to carry out its repression,”.
Baloch accused Pakistan’s Army of supporting ISIS operations in Balochistan. “Training camps for ISIS are being established in various areas, not just to target the Baloch struggle, but to create regional instability,” he told reporters. “Pakistan is no longer just a state sponsor of terrorism; it is now a direct enabler,” .
He urged international institutions to realise the global significance of these events. “The creation of ISIS facilities on Pakistani soil poses a threat to regional and international peace. This can’t be disregarded.”