In its April 14 edition, The Washington Post published a report titled “U.S. Weapons from Afghan War Give Pakistani Militants a Deadly Advantage”. According to the report, Pakistani officials provided the newspaper with the serial numbers of three American rifles allegedly used by the attackers in the Bolan assault on the Jaffar Express. The report further reveals that the assailants also possessed an M4A1 rifle manufactured by the U.S. arms company Colt.
Some federal ministers and analysts in Pakistan are linking the recent sophistication and escalation in the Baloch armed struggle to the use of these American weapons. However, it must be noted that Afghanistan has served as a global arms market for the past four decades. Ever since the Soviet intervention, not only Afghanistan but the entire region has seen a constant influx of weapons.
Even during the U.S. and allied forces’ prolonged presence in Afghanistan, American arms were readily available on the black market. These weapons are not confined to Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone—they are also being used in conflicts in Kashmir and Central Asia. Pakistan’s own black markets are known to be flooded with such arms.
However, the true drivers behind the increased intensity and sophistication of the Baloch freedom movement are not American weapons, but rather shifts in regional and global dynamics that have reshaped the strategic approach of Baloch armed organizations. These groups have significantly enhanced their combat capabilities and are witnessing a surge in the number of educated and skilled youth joining their ranks.
In recent years, Baloch armed groups—particularly the Baloch Liberation Army(BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front(BLF)—have met a substantial portion of their arms requirements by seizing weapons from Pakistani security forces, including the army, Frontier Corps, police, and Levies. While the role of weapons in any conflict is undeniable, it is ultimately the policies, strategies, and operational capabilities of the warring entities that prove decisive.
Unfortunately, Pakistan’s policy-making leadership has consistently failed to grasp the essence of the Baloch issue. This is why it alternates between blaming armed groups’ access to weapons and attributing the unrest to foreign conspiracies in an attempt to shape public perception.
The Baloch nation is engaged in a struggle for sovereignty and independence. While linking this struggle to American weapons may help craft a certain narrative, it does not alter the objective realities. The real reason behind the intensification and sophistication of the Baloch freedom war lies in the evolving military strategies of Baloch armed groups.