In Balochistan, due to poor governance and failure to deliver justice, development, and security, a vacuum has been created that anti-state groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) have been quick to exploit. While many locals have long suffered in silence, hopelessness is now being converted into resistance-not through democratic institutions, but by forces that mask violence under the banner of liberation. The past year alone has seen a disturbing escalation. The hijacking of the Jaffar Express train, the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar, the attack on a Balochistan Constabulary vehicle in Mastung, and dozens of coordinated assaults have all deepened the sense of fear and uncertainty. These groups thrive on the perception that the state is absent, and by hijacking the narrative of human rights, they justify acts that would otherwise be condemned as terrorism.
Anti-state groups in Balochistan thrive on fear, lawlessness, and fading trust in institutions.
What makes this trend even more dangerous is the growing moral immunity they enjoy among segments of the local population. Murders, torture, robberies, and intimidation are routinely carried out by these elements, yet they are shielded under slogans of resistance. Anyone who dares to speak against them is quickly silenced or labeled as a state sympathizer. Through fear, propaganda, and control of narrative, they have cultivated zones where they are above reproach. In many areas, locals have stopped expecting justice from the state-not because they have rejected it, but because they no longer believe it exists.
Adding to this alarming situation is the growing attempt by such groups to replace traditional tribal power structures. Historically, sardars and nawabs held influence through jirgas, which, despite their flaws, were rooted in tribal consensus. But their repeated misuse of authority-whether to settle personal scores, oppress women, or consolidate power-has discredited their role in the eyes of many. Capitalizing on that discontent, groups like the BLA and BYC now seek to assume the decision-making role of jirgas under the pretext of reform and social justice.
This, too, is a legal and moral crisis. Jirgas have no constitutional authority to decide criminal matters. Article 10-A of Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial and due process, which jirgas cannot provide. Article 4 guarantees equality before law, yet jirga rulings often enforce tribal customs that violate women’s rights and human dignity. Practices like honour killings, vani, and bride exchange fall under Sections 302, 310, 311, and 498-A of the Pakistan Penal Code. The Anti-Honour Killing Laws of 2016 prohibit forgiveness in such crimes when the state is the complainant. The Supreme Court, in its 2019 judgment in the Mukhtaran Mai case (Suo Moto No. 1 of 2006), clearly ruled that all parallel justice systems such as jirgas and panchayats are illegal when they attempt to try or punish individuals.
Despite this, groups like the BYC continue to wield influence through informal power, manipulating genuine grievances to build their authority while hiding their deeper alignment with separatist agendas. Simultaneously, the BLA and BYC continue to recruit vulnerable youth who feel abandoned by the state-offering them not a future, but a flag of resentment.
The international community’s selective outrage has only emboldened these actors. While quick to condemn arrests and detentions, many turn a blind eye to the incitement, violence, and shadow justice being imposed by these very groups. On-ground realities are far more complex than the slogans echoing in foreign capitals.
If Pakistan is to secure Balochistan, it must do more than secure its borders. It must re-establish the rule of law, ensure justice for actual missing persons (not just those claiming to be missing), uplift neglected communities, and dismantle these parallel structures of fear and manipulation. It is not just a question of sovereignty-it is a question of survival.
In this moment of national urgency, we respectfully appeal to the Pakistan Army. While we remain alert and committed at our borders with India, it is time to recognize that the battle is no longer just at the frontlines. Our enemies have crept within-spreading confusion, terror, and separatism under familiar names and slogans. As we watch the borders, they operate inside with impunity. We ask you to act with clarity and resolve. This war is being fought from within, and it must be won from within. Cleanse our land of these agents who masquerade as saviours while poisoning our future. Let Balochistan not fall from the inside while we guard our motherland from the outside.
The writer is Chairperson (Human Rights Functional committee, Senate)