The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization of Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups, has reiterated that its struggle is not based on race or religion, but is a fight against the “occupation and exploitation” of Balochistan by the Pakistani state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, BRAS said it had released two Punjabi civilians, Nazeer Ahmed and Zafar Iqbal, who were arrested during an operation in the Daringarh area of Mastung, Balochistan. The group said both men were safely released on 29 April after it was determined that they had no ties to the military or intelligence services.
“In accordance with the principled policies of the Baloch movement… we prioritised human and revolutionary values,” the group said. “This action is evidence of BRAS’s principled stance that our struggle is not against ordinary people of any race or religion, but against an occupying state and its exploitative system.”
BRAS added that all military activities of its fighters are directed at “the occupying Pakistani state, its intelligence agencies, and military installations,” and not against people of any ethnicity.
The group accused the Pakistani state of attempting to portray the Baloch movement as racially motivated in order to discredit it internationally.
“The attempts by the enemy state to give a racist colour to the Baloch liberation movement are not only propaganda but also an admission of the enemy’s moral defeat,” the statement said.
BRAS cited past operations where civilians, including Punjabi nationals, were released unharmed, naming incidents in Noshki, Ormara, and Rarsham, as well as the hostage-taking of the Jaffar Express train, during which Punjabi civilians were spared.
By contrast, BRAS alleged that the Pakistani military has subjected the Baloch population to “collective punishment, including enforced disappearances and the killing of women and children.”
“When the Pakistani state suffered a series of humiliating defeats on the battlefield, it shifted to a new strategy—creating fake organizations, targeting Punjabi civilians through surrendered agents, and blaming Baloch groups,” the statement said.
The group referred to a recent incident in the Meheristan Magas area of western Balochistan, where it claimed Pakistani intelligence used a surrendered agent, Sarfaraz Bangulzai, to kill Punjabi civilians.
Describing the Baloch movement as “an intellectual, moral and political struggle that stands on the pillars of truth, sacrifice and public support,” BRAS reaffirmed its ideological commitment to humanitarian principles.
“Every step of our struggle, every sacrifice, and every act of resistance is subordinate to a higher moral ideal,” the statement read. “We, as a nation, want our independence and do not have any revengeful agenda based on hatred or enmity against ordinary people of any nation, race or religion.”
The group also stated that it would welcome individuals who had previously cooperated with the state, provided they sincerely repented and proved their commitment through actions.
“The doors of the movement are not closed to those who sincerely confess their mistakes, break their affiliations with the enemy, and return with an oath of service and sacrifice to the nation,” BRAS said.
Finally, BRAS urged human rights organizations and international observers not to view the Baloch movement “through the lens of Pakistan’s propaganda,” stating that the ongoing struggle is a “legitimate and principled war fought for the survival of a historical nation and its right to its own motherland.”
“We welcome every voice that believes in the principles of justice, freedom and humanity,” the statement concluded.