On the night of February 19, in the Rarhkan area of Barkhan district, within the jurisdiction of the Levies police station, hundreds of armed men set up a blockade on the highway connecting Balochistan to Punjab. They stopped the Super Mekhtar bus, took seven people off, and shot them dead. The responsibility for this attack was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which accused the deceased of being agents of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
Earlier, in the Musakhel region along the same highway, the Baloch Liberation Army had also carried out attacks against security personnel during “Operation Herof,” killing several individuals linked to the military.
Balochistan’s controversial Chief Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti, recently claimed in a parliamentary assembly session that no area in Balochistan is under the control of armed groups fighting for independence. However, the events of the first two months of 2025—where the Baloch Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front took control of key highways in Turbat, Kalat, and Bolan, imposed blockades, and inflicted casualties on Pakistani forces—contradict the government’s claims. These developments suggest an attempt to conceal the worsening security situation.
Further reinforcing this reality, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, stated in Pakistan’s National Assembly that at least five districts of Balochistan are under the control of Baloch insurgents. This assertion directly contradicts the narrative propagated by the ruling authorities, who continue to claim that peace and stability prevail in Balochistan.
Given Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement and the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan, it can be inferred that more areas may soon fall out of the control of Pakistan’s military and come under the dominance of Baloch insurgents.