The Balochi Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), a coalition of four Baloch armed organizations, the BLA, BLF, BRA and BRG, has denied the claims of Pakistan army about the killing of their fighters, calling it a war propaganda.
The spokesperson of BRAS, Baloch Khan, said in a statement “The enemy state has launched a new propaganda campaign in the media for the past two weeks after the BRAS allies had intensified attacks on the Pakistani army and its facilitators in Balochistan and inflicted heavy casualties on them. Due to that, the enemy state has leashed a propaganda campaign claiming launch of large-scale operations, surrounding the Baloch freedom fighters, and martyring and arresting several fighters including commanders. To reinforce this fabricated propaganda, they have been showing pictures of Baloch martyrs, who were martyred in past, and purporting these have been killed in recent operations.”
BRAS denies all these claims, no commander or fighter of any of BRAS’s allied organizations has been killed or arrested in recent operations, he added.
Baloch Khan further stated “from day one, the Pakistan Army has been covering up its losses in Balochistan by resorting to lies and fabricated propaganda and has been making loud claims of success contrary to the facts, including the news of the martyrdom of several Baloch leaders on various occasions, which were later proved wrong in the media. Its aim is to keep the morale of its army high who have been greatly frightened while on duty in Balochistan, and to keep their people in the dark about the situation. On other hand it also intends to create an illusion of control and peace in Balochistan, to attract foreign investment.”
This time, BRAS considers it necessary to respond to the Pakistani military’s propaganda through this statement so that the motives behind the fresh propaganda initiatives can be clarified. It is true that Pakistani forces are carrying out various operations in different areas of Balochistan but these operations are being carried out against the civilian Baloch population. Enemy forces have surrounded remote Baloch settlements, abducted large numbers of civilians and are setting their settlements on fire, BRAS statement read.
The statement says; also, in past, when Pakistani military disseminated such news of operations, the detained Baloch political activists were martyred in custody, their bodies were dumped in the mentioned areas of operation and they were shown as militants. Same way, when they have to produce a missing person, they claim that he was arrested during an operation, although there are records of such missing persons in media about being taken away by Pakistani forces. Its purpose is to kill innocent political activists in custody and claim success, while also tarnishing the just struggle for the release of missing persons.
In the wake of the army’s recent propaganda, there is once again a strong possibility that, just like the past, missing Baloch political activists will be killed and purported as being eliminated in combats, BRAS spokesman said.
Baloch Khan further said that Baloch Sarmachars (freedom fighters) consider martyrdom as a pride for themselves, every Sarmachar is fighting the enemy on the battlefield with the spirit of martyrdom. Unlike the enemy army, the martyrdom does not demoralize our comrades and our nation, instead raises their zeal even higher. That is why we cherish such martyrdoms and inform the nation through the media.
We want to convey to the impartial media through this statement that they should confirm any such incidents through our media sources. If any media organization, personality or defence analytics propagates the propaganda of Pakistan Army without verification, then they will also be considered being an accessory to the propaganda machinery of Pakistan Army, Baloch Khan said.