Impossible to distinguish between friends and foes in Balochistan: CM Bugti

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has expressed growing concerns over the increasing difficulty of distinguishing between friends and enemies within the province.

In an interview with the BBC, Bugti said the province’s security forces are operating in a “grey area,” where identifying friend from foe is almost impossible.

According to Bugti, recent months have seen intensified insurgent activity, with the latest suicide attack by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) targeting Quetta’s railway station.

He attributed the insurgency’s funding to India’s intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), with alleged instructions for insurgents being issued from camps in Afghanistan.

Bugti clarified that the situation is a “war based on intelligence,” requiring targeted counterintelligence efforts. He dismissed claims of military operations in Balochistan, emphasising instead the need for effective intelligence.

The chief minister added that Balochistan recently passed a Vulnerable Area law to increase accountability, empowering local authorities, police, and paramilitary forces to address emerging security challenges.

‘BLA misled me to kill innocents': Former terrorist Talat Aziz

Last week, former member of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Talat Aziz, has stated that he was influenced to kill innocents under the pretense of gaining a “new life” in the mountains.

Speaking alongside provincial officials at a media briefing on Friday, the former terrorist described how his views were shaped through the Baloch Solidarity Committee’s gatherings and protests.

Aziz revealed that the proscribed BLA had orchestrated anti-state activities and plotted attacks against Punjabis from remote camps in the mountains.

"They were planning to break the country apart," he said, adding that he ultimately planned his escape after witnessing these operations.

He urged fellow Baloch youth not to fall for the promises and rhetoric of separatist groups, stating that he himself had been pursuing education in Punjab and harbored no hostility toward the Punjabi people.

"I appeal to my Baloch brothers and sisters: do not be misled by these terrorists," he said.

Aziz said that gatherings organised by the Baloch Solidarity Committee often promote ideologies aimed at swaying young minds toward violence.

On October 12, it was reported that China and Pakistan will mount diplomatic efforts to seek inclusion of Majeed Brigade – a suicide wing of banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) – in a sanctions list maintained by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), said sources familiar with the development.

Beijing had tried to persuade the UNSC Sanctions Committee to list the Majeed Brigade in the past but certain members blocked the move, citing lack of enough evidence against the terrorist outfit.