Pakistan’s government has once again highlighted the challenging terrain of Balochistan while calling for the deployment of a large number of troops, as violence in the province intensified, pushing the death toll to 177 over the past two days, according to official figures.
The remarks came after Pakistan’s security forces said they killed 22 more suspected militants in ongoing counter-terror operations following a series of coordinated attacks across the province over the weekend.
Government Cites Geography as Operational Challenge
Addressing Pakistan’s National Assembly on Monday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the vast and mountainous geography of Balochistan was limiting the effectiveness of security operations.
“Balochistan constitutes over 40% of Pakistan geographically. Controlling such a large and sparsely populated area is far more difficult than managing security in urban centres,” Asif said, according to PTI.
“Our troops are deployed and actively engaged, but they are physically handicapped by the sheer size of the region they must guard and patrol,” he added.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long witnessed an insurgency driven by ethnic Baloch groups, many of whom allege political marginalisation and inequitable exploitation of the province’s natural resources.
Insurgency and Security Concerns
Officials said the latest counter-terror operations were launched after militants allegedly targeted multiple locations on Saturday. Authorities have blamed ethnic Baloch insurgent groups for the violence, including the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
The BLA has previously claimed responsibility for high-profile attacks, including the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express train from Quetta to Peshawar, which left 31 civilians and security personnel dead and more than 300 passengers held hostage.
The group has also repeatedly targeted infrastructure linked to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship $60 billion project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Claims of Criminal-Militant Nexus
Asif alleged that criminal networks were operating under the cover of separatist groups. “In Balochistan, criminal gangs, smugglers, and those running separatist movements have formed a nexus,” he said, claiming smugglers previously earned up to PKR 4 billion per day from oil smuggling.
He added that portraying such violence as a “freedom movement” was unacceptable and amounted to legitimising criminal activity.
Anti-India Allegations Resurface
Reiterating Pakistan’s long-standing claims, Asif alleged—without providing evidence—that elements based in India and Afghanistan were supporting militant groups in Balochistan.
“The terrorists’ leadership is based in Afghanistan, and they receive support from there,” he said, repeating assertions that New Delhi uses proxies in the region.
These remarks follow similar allegations by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the military’s media wing, which described the attackers as “Indian-sponsored,” a claim India has strongly denied.
India Rejects Allegations
India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the accusations as unfounded. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the claims were a familiar attempt to deflect attention from Pakistan’s internal challenges.
“We categorically reject these baseless allegations. Instead of making frivolous claims after every violent incident, Pakistan should focus on addressing the long-standing demands of its own people,” Jaiswal said.
He also pointed to concerns over human rights violations and the lack of political and economic autonomy in Balochistan, adding that Pakistan’s record on suppression in the region was “well known.”
