Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a regional summit on Monday that the insurgency in Balochistan “poses a threat” to the entire Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and accused foreign powers of involvement in recent attacks, which he described as acts of “state terrorism.”
At the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, Sharif said Pakistan had “irrefutable evidence of involvement of some foreign hands” in recent major attacks in Balochistan, though he did not name the countries.
“Terrorism and separatism are a threat to the entire SCO,” Sharif said, urging member states to confront what he called a growing regional challenge.
He cited the deadly assault on the Jaffar Express in March as an example, when fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Peshawar-bound passenger train in Bolan with more than 400 people on board.
The group later released civilians but detained over 200 security personnel, whom it described as “prisoners of war,” and issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the release of Baloch political prisoners and those it said had been forcibly disappeared.
When the deadline expired, the BLA announced it had executed 214 captives, saying the Pakistani state had failed to meet its demands. The operation was one of the deadliest in the history of the Baloch insurgency.
The BLA has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s accusations that the Baloch movement acts as a proxy for foreign powers. In a recent statement the group said: “We strongly reject the idea that Baloch national resistance is a proxy of any state or power… The BLA is neither a pawn nor a silent spectator. We are a decisive party to the regional equation and fully aware of our role.”
Sharif also addressed wider regional issues. He said peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of the entire SCO and that Pakistan sought “stable, normal relations” with all its neighbours.
He stressed that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not confrontation, and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to multilateralism and respect for sovereignty under international and bilateral agreements.
“Pakistan has always believed in the power of multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy, and shunning unilateralism,” Sharif said, adding that recent developments in the region had caused “deep grief and disappointment.”
The prime minister reiterated support for the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), describing it as an “excellent project between Pakistan and China,” and praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “wise and visionary leadership.” He also condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling its actions “unacceptable” and urging an end to famine and war in the territory.
The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. The summit in Tianjin, hosted by President Xi Jinping, brought together some 20 heads of state and government as well as international organizations, making it the largest SCO gathering since the bloc was formed in 2001.