The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has announced the death of its senior commander Abdul Basit Zehri, also known by his alias Qazi, who passed away on 26 June 2025 after a prolonged illness.
In a statement released on Sunday, the BLA described Basit Zehri as one of the key architects of its organizational structure, urban and mountain warfare strategies, and ideological direction. He joined the group in 2006 and played a central role in the evolution of urban guerrilla warfare in Balochistan, before transitioning to lead high-level strategic planning across the mountainous regions.
The group further said that Zehri was instrumental in the BLA’s 2018 organizational restructuring and helped establish its presence in non-military sectors, including cyber operations, intelligence, research, and youth recruitment. Despite suffering from severe kidney failure and undergoing a transplant, Zehri remained active in the organizations leadership until his death.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that a major military unit would be named in Zehri’s honour. He described his death as the conclusion of a transformative era in the group’s history, while affirming that Zehri’s mission, legacy and institutional vision would be carried forward across all sectors of the movement.
The full statement from the BLA, released on 29 June 2025, reads as follows:
“A Pillar of Baloch National Resistance: Central Commander Basit Zehri Alias Qazi Passes Away – BLA
The news of the death of Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, central commander of Baloch Liberation Army, the founder and active commander of the highest institution—Senior Command Council—and the architect of organizational restructuring, is conveyed to the Baloch nation with great sadness and sorrow. He passed away on June 26, 2025, after a serious illness. This news represents not only the sorrow of losing an individual but also the end of an era and a reminder of an ideological, military, and organizational foundation that today highlights Baloch national resistance as a powerful and coherent movement in the world.
Basit Zehri’s journey of resistance was not merely a personal decision, but a manifestation of collective consciousness against colonial oppression, chieftain tyranny, and national humiliation. He adopted this path individually and then shaped it into institutional resistance. Born in 1981 in Zehri, a suburb of Khuzdar, Basit Zehri chose a path of pain, sacrifice, and selfless struggle from an early age. His nationalistic thinking and political maturity led him to join BLA in 2006. His initial role was as an urban guerrilla in Khuzdar, but he soon became a defining figure in the history of urban warfare in Balochistan.
The modern direction in which the organization, structure, and methodology of urban guerrilla warfare were developed in key cities like Khuzdar, Quetta, Hub Chowki, and Gwadar was a direct result of Basit Zehri’s strategic vision, leadership, and military expertise. He was not just an operational commander but a complete school of thought who transformed urban resistance into a systematic science of warfare. Basit Zehri mastered the art of thwarting enemy military plans, paralyzing security networks, and converting internal enemy weaknesses into strategic advantages. This foundation elevated him as one of the leading commanders of BLA and the right hand of ideological and military leader Martyr Mentor General Aslam Baloch.
After 2010, Basit Zehri moved to the mountain front, where he applied his combat leadership, networking skills, and ideological training in a broader context. He oversaw the planning, command, and intelligence reorganization of dozens of major operations in various mountainous regions of Balochistan. When BLA was reorganized in 2018 under the leadership of Martyr Mentor Aslam Baloch, and movement was transformed into a modern, institutional, and strategic structure, Basit Zehri was one of the key architects of this transformation. He was entrusted with the responsibility of Central Commander and was elected a member of the Senior Command Council—the highest body of BLA—in which capacity he remained active until his last breath.
In 2018, he suffered from severe kidney failure. Both kidneys failed, and after a long struggle, he was able to undergo a transplant. However, this illness did not hinder his determination, dedication, or struggle. Even during his illness, he continued to participate in organizational, military, and intellectual planning within BLA with the same intensity as a healthy fighter. His perseverance became a model for the youth and redefined the concept of leadership.
Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, did not view resistance merely through a military lens. He envisioned the BLA as an alternative national state structure. He believed that if resistance is not built on a scientific, intellectual, and technical foundation, it becomes nothing more than a reaction. Therefore, he played a fundamental role in transforming BLA into an organized institution. Under his supervision, numerous non-military sectors—including high-tech, finance, media, training, intelligence, research, technology, and political coordination—were developed and strengthened. This organizational mindset helped establish BLA as the strongest and most structured resistance force in Balochistan.
A significant aspect of Basit Zehri’s struggle lies in personal sacrifices he endured. The state made every attempt to weaken him by targeting his family. In 2010, his 12-year-old brother, Majeed Zehri, was martyred. In 2011, his father, Muhammad Ramzan Zehri, was killed by intelligence agencies. In 2012, his 21-year-old brother, Martyr Abdul Hayye Zehri alias Nisar, was martyred during a mission. In 2014, two of his cousins, Abdul Samad Zehri and Sher Muhammad Zehri, were martyred alongside Phullain Martyr Ameer ul Mulk Qalandarani in a prolonged battle with enemy forces. Later, another cousin, Martyr Tik Teer Zia ur Rehman Zehri alias Diljan, followed the “last bullet” philosophy and embraced martyrdom by firing his final round while fighting the enemy. That same year, another cousin, Rashid Hussain, was abducted from Dubai and handed over to Pakistan; he remains missing. Eventually, his elder brother, Abdul Hafeez Zehri, was also abducted by state agencies, and other family members were similarly targeted.
Despite these unbearable losses, tortures, and traumas, Basit Zehri’s ideological steadfastness, resistance awareness, and organizational resolve never faltered. Not only did he remain unshaken, but he also provided BLA and the wider Baloch national resistance movement with an ideological, military, and organizational continuity that has now become deeply rooted and resilient.
With the passing of Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, Baloch Liberation Army has not only lost a combat commander but also been separated from an intellectual, institutional, and ideological foundation—one that played a pivotal role in developing the BLA’s non-military sectors with a vision for the future. He was one of the few commanders who aimed to expand the resistance beyond armed struggle and toward the building of state structures. He believed a resistance organization should not operate merely as a military force but as a de facto alternative to the state—with civilian institutions, policy-making bodies, and cyber defense capabilities. This vision was reflected in his work and made him a consistent and decisive voice within the organization’s decision-making council.
Another vital aspect of his practical vision was the institutional approach he adopted to include new generation in the organization. He personally remained in contact with hundreds of youths, directly overseeing their political education, combat training, and organizational integration. Not only within BLA, but also across the broader Baloch resistance movement, the institutional blueprints that intellectually and practically prepared new generation were products of his mind and leadership.
He was not only a fighter but also an intellectual mentor—someone who engaged with youth, answered their questions, and transformed their fears into political maturity. Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, was also exemplary in his personal life. He was simple in nature, humble in demeanor, and soft-spoken, yet resolute and exceptionally clear in his decision-making. To his comrades in BLA, he was not merely a commander, but also a brother, mentor, and friend.
His doors were always open. His decisions were made through consultation. His leadership style was devoid of emotional impulsiveness or authoritarian harshness. His personality added a human touch to the resistance—a resistance that did not only raise arms against the enemy but also stood shoulder to shoulder with its people.
Science and research held a special place in his vision of resistance. He consistently emphasized that the wars of the future would be fought on scientific and technological fronts, and that a nation falling behind in these areas would not win even with guns. With this in mind, he developed the organization’s capabilities in research, strategy and tactics, cyber security, communications discipline, and both physical and electronic intelligence. He introduced modern techniques to render BLA networks invisible and made information warfare an integral part of the organization’s battle doctrine.
He clearly understood the dynamics of resistance in a high-tech era and believed in adapting the BLA accordingly.
His most remarkable trait was that he led the resistance not with emotion, but with understanding and insight. Every policy crafted under his guidance was not based on temporary fervor but anchored in long-term strategy. He had an extraordinary ability to interpret state psychology, anticipate enemy behavior, and assess international developments.
In recognition of his revolutionary contributions, Baloch Liberation Army has decided to name an important military unit after its senior commander, Abdul Basit Zehri alias Qazi. This decision is not merely symbolic or an expression of grief, but a practical step aimed at transferring the organization’s structure, institutional continuity, and intellectual legacy to future generations. The responsibilities, name, scope, and leadership details of this newly designated unit will soon be shared with Baloch Nation.
Martyrdom of Abdul Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, is not simply a personal loss—it marks the end of a transformative chapter in the Baloch national resistance, a chapter that elevated BLA from a conventional organization into an institution, a force, and a visionary alternative system. He was not only a military leader, but also an intellectual architect, an organizer, and a revolutionary strategist. His work spanned from the battlefield to political structuring, intellectual planning, and the creation of scientific models of resistance. The resolve, foresight, and dignity with which he carried on his struggle—despite illness, personal loss, and relentless state repression—have now become a lasting standard for Baloch youth.
Qazi’s life proved that resistance is not merely about taking up arms; it is a discipline, a purposeful way of life, and an intellectual direction that every generation must study and embrace. His political maturity, organizational prudence, and moral credibility gave the BLA a rare balance between internal cohesion and external relevance. He was among the leaders of the resistance movement who emphasized intellectual structure, strategic planning, and institutional development over emotional slogans.
With the martyrdom of Abdul Basit Zehri, alias Qazi, Baloch Liberation Army is bidding farewell to an era. Yet, the ideology of that era—its vision and structural foundation—remains alive and active on every front of the organization.
Baloch Liberation Army affirms that Qazi’s struggle, intellectual legacy, and organizational vision will not be confined to a single unit or a statement of condolence. Instead, his plans, policies, and institutional frameworks will be expanded across all sectors of the movement. His martyrdom not only brings grief but also bestows a responsibility—the responsibility to fulfill the mission to which he devoted two decades of his life.”
This detailed statement by the BLA on the death of Commander Basit Zehri alias Qazi has been published in its original form. It has not been edited or altered by the TBP staff.