Escalating Conflict: Baloch Leader Warns of Pakistan's Militant Campaign in Balochistan

In a compelling plea to the international community, Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), accused Pakistan of escalating its violent operations in Balochistan. According to The Balochistan Post, Baloch highlighted Pakistan's collaboration with state-sponsored militias and ISIS to suppress the Baloch struggle for independence.

Baloch noted an increase in the intensity and sophistication of Baloch guerrilla operations, which increasingly challenge the Pakistani military. The guerrillas, or 'Sarmachars', regularly disrupt military activity, yet the army's response, Baloch claims, involves collective punishment of civilians, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

Furthermore, Baloch decried the military's use of 'peace militias', allegedly backed by intelligence agencies, to silence dissent. He cited a recent assault that led to four Baloch fighters' deaths as evidence of the state's reliance on illegal entities for repression. Baloch urged global action against these abuses, warning that Pakistan's actions pose a threat to international peace.

(With inputs from agencies.)