In the rugged, resilient, and historically neglected province of Balochistan, a new war is being waged – not just with guns and explosives, but with smartphones, hashtags, and algorithm-driven platforms. As terrorist outfits like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) continue to orchestrate violent attacks against the state and civilians, a parallel ideological insurgency has emerged under the seemingly innocuous banner of civil rights. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), while
claiming to represent the voices of the oppressed,
is now widely seen by security experts as a soft
front for the BLA’s separatist agenda.
The BLA has long been designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It has carried out deadly attacks on security forces, foreign nationals-particularly Chinese citizens-and infrastructure critical to Pakistan’s development. Its methods are brutal, its motives separatist, and its backers allegedly foreign. The BYC, on the other hand, presents itself as a peaceful rights movement. Yet, a closer look reveals striking similarities in language, symbolism, and timing between BYC protests and BLA attacks. Protest slogans echo BLA narratives. “Martyrs” glorified at BYC events are, in several cases, linked to BLA militancy. Leadership connections and family ties further blur the lines. Security analysts have noted that while BLA uses weapons, BYC uses narratives-both, however, aim to erode the legitimacy of the Pakistani state.
The convergence of these two fronts-one militant, the other ideological-has found fertile ground on platforms like TikTok. Once known primarily for dance challenges and lip-syncing videos, TikTok has now become the most influential tool in Balochistan’s digital space. Videos glorifying slain militants, distorting security operations, and invoking Baloch nationalism spread like wildfire, especially among youth. What makes the situation more dangerous is the emotional nature of the content. Traditional music, poetry, and imagery of grieving mothers or dusty battlegrounds are used to craft a romanticized image of insurgency. These videos bypass fact-checking and moderation, reaching thousands-sometimes millions-within hours.
The enemies of Balochistan are not those building hospitals or schools-they are those who recruit your sons and daughters to die in wars funded from across our borders.
Despite being a Chinese-owned platform, TikTok has shown little effectiveness in moderating separatist or terrorist content in Pakistan. Language barriers, lack of local moderators, and inconsistent enforcement of community standards have allowed anti-state propaganda to thrive unchecked. At the heart of this crisis is a vacuum-a vacuum of credible, consistent, and compassionate state narrative. Where terrorists fill the silence with emotional manipulation, the state must respond with facts, justice, and visibility. Balochistan’s youth are not inherently radical. But they are angry, frustrated, and digitally connected. In the absence of engaging alternatives, the narrative battlefield has been surrendered to those who exploit pain for political ends.
To reverse this dangerous tide, Pakistan must act-decisively and intelligently-on multiple fronts. The state must negotiate directly with TikTok, Meta, and other platforms to deploy local language moderation, improve content takedown systems, and ban known anti-state accounts. These are not just violations of Pakistani law-they are violations of global norms against terrorism and incitement. New laws must empower regulators and law enforcement to respond in real-time to digital threats. A national digital counterterrorism strategy, equipped with legal, technical, and intelligence tools, is no longer optional.
Pakistan must tell its side of the story. Through coordinated campaigns, it must highlight the developmental efforts in Balochistan, the brutality of BLA’s attacks, and the resilience of ordinary Baloch citizens who reject violence. The most powerful counter to propaganda is truth from within. The government should empower Baloch journalists, teachers, influencers, and students to take the lead in shaping a peaceful, hopeful digital discourse.
To the people of Balochistan, the message is simple: your suffering is real. Your demands for justice and development are valid. But your pain must not be weaponized by those who seek endless bloodshed. The enemies of Balochistan are not those building hospitals or schools-they are those who recruit your sons and daughters to die in wars funded from across our borders.
The international community, especially human rights organizations and digital platforms, must avoid falling into the trap of amplifying one-sided narratives. While legitimate concerns should be heard, glorifying organizations or collectives that indirectly support terrorism is dangerous, irresponsible, and contrary to global commitments against extremism. Pakistan remains committed to peace and progress in Balochistan. But it will not allow terrorism-in any form, or under any name-to masquerade as civil resistance.
The writer is Chairperson (Human Rights Functional committee, Senate)