Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday dismissed the presence of an insurgency in the province, blaming “India-backed so-called separatist movements” for the worsening security situation.
In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces.
Addressing participants of the 17th National Workshop in Quetta, the chief minister maintained that there was “no insurgency in Balochistan but so-called separatist movements” in the province.
“The purpose of these anti-state elements is to harm and divide Pakistan,” he said.
He added that the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind the deterioration of the security situation in the province.
“The Indian agency RAW has a clear role behind the deteriorating situation in Balochistan,” he said. “Separatists are pleased with India but want to harm Pakistan.”
CM Bugti added that the war against terrorism was not only the armed forces’ prerogative but “the whole nation’s joint fight”.
He added that a “false impression of uneven development” was deliberately created in the province to sow division, adding that terms like “disgruntled Baloch were coined to justify terrorism”.
“A person who resorts to violence and takes up arms is not angry but a terrorist,” he said.
The chief minister also said that distances were created between the youth and the state through social media propaganda. “The government is going to universities and every forum to hear the grievances of the youth,” he maintained.
Bugti said that in order to improve the security situation in the province and deal with terrorism, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD)’s capacity was being enhanced.
“For this purpose, Rs100 million has been allocated. Security forces are conducting operations in areas where it is difficult to distinguish between friends and foes,” he said.
According to recent reports issued by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) and the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the first three quarters of 2025 in the country saw nearly as much violence as witnessed in all of 2024.
In 2024, KP recorded the highest number of terrorist incidents with 295 attacks; meanwhile, attacks by various outlawed Baloch insurgent groups, primarily the BLA and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), saw a staggering 119 per cent increase, accounting for 171 incidents in Balochistan.
