The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a “pro-independence” armed group, said on Friday its fighters carried out road blockades and checkpoint seizures on highways in Balochistan’s Mastung, Barkhan and Kalat districts.
BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said fighters blocked the Quetta–Taftan road at Sheikh Wasil in Mastung on March 19, suspending traffic until late at night while vehicles were subjected to what he described as “strict snap checking”.
He said a Levies check post at the site was seized, personnel were taken into custody and the post was set on fire, adding that those detained were later released after being warned to “refrain from serving as instruments of the occupying forces”.
In a separate operation on March 18, the group established checkpoints at multiple locations, including between Barkhan and Rakhni and along Shahrah-e-Bodhi Eishani in Kohlu, where the blockade lasted about three hours, he said.
He said two vehicles belonging to the squad of Barkhan Police Superintendent Saad Afridi arrived at the checkpoint and attempted to pass through despite being signalled to stop, adding that the vehicles were then targeted with warning fire.
He warned police personnel not to violate such blockades in future, adding that one police official detained during the operation was later released on what he described as “humanitarian grounds”.
The spokesperson said fighters also blocked traffic on the RCD highway in the Sang Das area of Kalat on the same day, adding that vehicles were searched and no military convoy or informant passed through.
He said fighters addressed members of the public during the blockade and outlined what he described as the “objectives of the armed struggle”.
The statement said the operations demonstrated what it described as the group’s “reach over key highways and strategic routes”, adding that the sustained blockades reflected its “ability to control major roads” despite what it described as security measures.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistani authorities.