The Government of Balochistan has declared 39 individuals as “most wanted” and announced cash rewards for information leading to their arrest, publishing their names and photographs in major newspapers on Wednesday.
A half-page advertisement appeared on the front pages of leading Quetta-based newspapers listing the names, aliases, addresses and photographs of the individuals. The notice stated that rewards ranging from Rs500,000 to Rs250 million would be given for credible information resulting in action against them. The total announced bounty amounts to Rs1.38 billion.
According to the advertisement, authorities will take immediate action upon receiving “authentic, accurate and actionable” information, and the identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential.
Among those listed are Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) chief Bashir Zeb Baloch and Rehman Gul, who security officials allege is a commander of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade. The government has set the highest reward – Rs250 million each – for information leading to their arrest.
Bashir Zeb has previously been named in multiple cases by Pakistani authorities, while security officials accuse Rehman Gul of leading the Majeed Brigade, a BLA-affiliated unit.
Notably, the name of Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) chief Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch does not appear on the published list, despite his long-standing designation by Pakistani authorities as a key insurgent leader. His absence has raised questions among observers and political commentators about the criteria used to compile the list and the overall coherence of the government’s approach, with some asking why one of the most prominent figures linked to the Baloch insurgency was excluded from a roster described as comprising the Balochistan’s “most wanted” individuals.
The list also includes several exiled political leaders, among them Hairbyar Marri, head of the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), and Brahamdagh Bugti, head of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP). Both are currently residing in European countries. Safeer Baloch, associated with the Baloch National Movement (BNM), which describes itself as a political organization, is also included in the list.
The publication of the advertisement prompted criticism from some observers. Kiyya Baloch, a Norway-based Baloch journalist, questioned the move in a social media post, stating that the government was making itself “a subject of ridicule” by including Hyrbyair Marri and Brahamdagh Bugti in the wanted list despite their known places of residence abroad.
In his post, he asked what type of information could realistically assist in their arrest and criticized Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti for setting what he described as comparatively lower rewards of Rs1 million each for Marri and Bugti while allocating higher amounts for other unnamed individuals. He further alleged that sharing their photographs through official government social media accounts amounted to an attempt at public humiliation.