The Pakistani military has agreed to form armed militias under the name “Peace Force” in Balochistan under the patronage of local tribal and political figures, a source linked to the military and familiar with the matter said.
The source said these groups would confront Baloch armed fighters, allowing the military to reduce its direct involvement and remain relatively behind the scenes.
According to the source, a high-level meeting agreed that landlords, sardars, tribal elders, religious figures, union council chairpersons and ministers would patronise the local forces.
The plan formed part of a policy unanimously agreed at General Headquarters (GHQ) and would be implemented in phases, the source said. Tribal chiefs, ministers and other influential figures who refused to cooperate could be labelled enemy sympathisers and face action, the source added.
The source said the military leadership had underestimated how quickly conditions in Balochistan were deteriorating. The deaths of senior officers and rank-and-file personnel, alongside the reaction to those losses in Punjab, were driving the decision to reduce direct military involvement and bring local figures to the forefront, the source added.
The source also outlined a proposed cost-sharing arrangement, saying the government would cover half the expenses through a designated Balochistan government budget, while the local figure heading each force would bear the remainder.
The claims concerning the plan, the meeting’s decisions, funding arrangements and possible action against those refusing to participate could not be independently verified. No formal position from the Pakistani military or the Balochistan government on these claims could be confirmed.
Baloch political parties and rights groups have long alleged that Pakistani forces use locally recruited militias to counter the Baloch movement. They describe these groups as “death squads” and accuse their members of carrying out abductions and killings while enjoying protection from state institutions.
A similar proposal was discussed last month at a jirga in Gandawah, Jhal Magsi, attended by Sindh Assembly member Mir Nadir Khan Magsi and Balochistan Assembly member Mir Zareen Khan Magsi.
Participants agreed to establish a local “peace force” to protect government installations and other state assets, local sources said at the time.
‘We Will Not Form Any Militia‘
However, political figures including Balochistan Assembly opposition member Younus Aziz Zehri and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have rejected calls for political representatives to form militias.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly on October 6, Zehri said political representatives could neither organise armed groups nor take responsibility for armed confrontation.
He demanded a briefing on the deteriorating law-and-order situation and the measures taken by the government and relevant institutions.
“Providing security to citizens is the responsibility of the state, the government and the forces,” he said. “We will not form any militia, nor will we become involved in any confrontation.”
Rehman had rejected similar calls in July, saying government and military institutions were asking communities to form militias and fight armed groups.
“This is not our job; it is the army’s job, and that is what they are paid for,” he said.