The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has distanced itself from the recent killing of Zakir Baloch, Deputy Commissioner of Panjgur, who was attacked and killed in Mastung on Monday.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch clarified that Zakir Baloch was not on the group’s target list. “Zakir Baloch was never on our hit list,” he said, rejecting claims that the BLA was behind the attack.
Jeeyand Baloch accused the Pakistani military and the provincial government of attempting to implicate the BLA in the attack as part of a “propaganda campaign” aimed at discrediting the organization. “The Pakistani military and its allied government in Balochistan are trying to link this incident to the BLA through false propaganda, which we categorically reject,” he added.
“The BLA’s targets are well-defined,” Jeeyand Baloch asserted, explaining that the organization always openly and proudly claims responsibility for any operations it conducts. He stressed that unless an attack or incident is officially claimed by the BLA through its recognized channels, the organization should be considered unrelated to that incident.
Jeeyand Baloch further accused the Pakistani military of using “deception and hypocrisy” in its tactics, contrasting this with the BLA’s “high revolutionary moral principles.” He described the BLA as an organization that draws its strength from the Baloch nation and is engaged in a “sacred struggle for Baloch national freedom against the occupying forces.”
He also warned that in this “national liberation war,” any individual or institution found to be acting against the “collective interests of the Baloch people” would be targeted by the BLA with full responsibility. However, he reiterated that until the BLA accepts responsibility for an attack, it should be considered unrelated to that incident.
On the other hand, in a separate statement, the BLA claimed responsibility for two bomb attacks carried out in Quetta on Tuesday. According to Jeeyand Baloch, the first attack targeted an upcoming “Independence Day” event on Munir Mengal Road in the Sariab area of Quetta. The event, organized at an educational institution under the direction of Pakistani military and intelligence agencies, was struck by a bomb as a “warning” by BLA fighters. No casualties were reported as the attack was carried out when the location was unoccupied.
The second attack targeted a stall selling Pakistani flags in Liaquat Bazaar, China Market, Quetta. The stall, which the BLA claims was set up under the patronage of the Pakistani military, was destroyed by a bomb explosion.
Jeeyand Baloch reiterated the BLA’s stance that events organized under the guise of “Independence Day” celebrations would be targeted. He accused the Pakistani state of using such events to “forcibly portray Balochistan as part of Pakistan,” which he claimed contradicts the “historical and ground realities” of the region.
The BLA statement concluded by stating that their operations against what they termed the “occupying Pakistani military and its collaborators” would continue.