Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s charge that militants are receiving “state patronage” across the border in Afghanistan reflects a deepening crisis. His claim that Afghan soil is being used to train and shelter militants who then strike inside Pakistan echoes Islamabad’s long-standing security concerns. The urgency is clear: just this month, 19 soldiers fell in two clashes in the northwest (a single week’s toll that lays bare the steep price Pakistan continues to pay at its frontiers). For a nation that has already sacrificed so much in the fight against terrorism, frustration is both real and justified.
However, the challenge cannot be understood in purely bilateral terms. The insurgency in Balochistan has taken on new forms, underscored by the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in March, which left at least 31 dead. This attack struck at what had been considered a safer corridor for troop movements, shattering assumptions about the limits of insurgent reach. Militants have widened their campaign from ethnically targeted killings that stoke division to strikes on Chinese engineers and CPEC projects. Such operations are designed not only to inflict loss but also to undermine Pakistan’s strategic partnerships.
The provincial government’s latest response has drawn attention: a notification requiring families to report missing or suspected terror-linked relatives, warning that non-compliance could be treated as facilitation under anti-terror laws. In a province scarred by a painful history of extrajudicial killings, such measures risk blurring the line. Families already caught between militants and loyalty to the state may, thus, find themselves trapped in impossible choices.
This policy dilemma is sharpened by international pressures. The Baloch Liberation Army is listed by the United States as a foreign terrorist organisation, with its Majeed Brigade designated in 2025. China, deeply invested in Balochistan’s infrastructure and energy projects, has voiced growing concern for the safety of its nationals. Analysts have repeatedly noted reports of Chinese pressure for stronger on-ground protections, even mooted troop deployments–claims Islamabad has so far resisted. These external dynamics heighten the urgency of a strategy that secures national sovereignty without inflaming local grievances.
Civil society and political leaders have long argued that force alone cannot resolve Balochistan’s predicament. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for dialogue and development to complement security operations. Infrastructure, education, and genuine political inclusion remain the most effective antidotes to the grievances militants exploit.
Pakistan stands at a difficult juncture. Its people have borne immense sacrifices in the fight against terror. To honour those sacrifices, security policy must be paired with justice and dignity. Anything less risks prolonging a regional crisis whose tremors are already felt far beyond Quetta. *