Terror’s long night

The attack on the Jaffar Express by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was an act of terrorism. There is no other word to describe what happened. While the BLA has attacked the railways before, especially the Jaffar Express, the scale at which they have done it this time is new. On Tuesday, militants blew up a railway track, opened fire and seized control of the Jaffar Express; the train was carrying more than 400 passengers. By Wednesday night, the operation to free the hostages was completed with the ISPR saying that all the attackers present at the site were killed and all the hostages freed. However, before the operation, the terrorists had managed to kill 21 hostages. This brazen attack is alarming on multiple levels. Train hijackings are rare, requiring sophisticated planning and resources – and the BLA’s ability to execute such a complex operation suggests that it has been growing in strength and capability. But more than that, it seems to have grown in the kind of support it is getting. The BLA’s recruitment strategies target disenfranchised Baloch youth, who, feeling abandoned by the state, fall prey to the rhetoric employed.

Balochistan, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been the primary victim of terrorism in recent years. However, the challenges in the province are unique, stemming from political alienation, economic exploitation and human rights violations. The missing persons crisis has fueled resentment, the unequal distribution of resources has deepened economic disparities, and political disenfranchisement has only widened the gap between the people and the state. The ongoing insurgency is not simply a law-and-order problem but a symptom of these deeper structural issues. There was a time when political engagement helped curb violence. In 2013, when the PML-N appointed nationalist leader Dr Abdul Malik Baloch as Balochistan’s chief minister, insurgency levels saw a significant decline. That period offered a glimpse of what genuine representation and dialogue could achieve. However, with nationalist leaders sidelined and disillusioned, the space for political reconciliation has shrunk, creating a vacuum that militant groups have readily filled.

However, no legitimate grievance – no matter how deeply rooted – can justify the BLA’s actions. The BLA’s claim that such violence is part of a so-called ‘freedom struggle’ collapses under the weight of its own brutality, as hostage-taking and civilian executions serve only to undermine whatever cause they claim to represent. While Balochistan’s history of state neglect, enforced disappearances and military operations has fueled anger and alienation, resorting to terrorism not only hardens the state’s resolve but also weakens sympathy for the Baloch cause. It reinforces the state’s security-first approach and allows the government to dismiss genuine political demands under the banner of counterterrorism. The state must also recognise that a solely kinetic approach cannot bring lasting peace to Balochistan. It is time to bring Baloch nationalists back to the table. Those who lack grassroots support cannot be the state’s sole interlocutors. As for the BLA, as much as Balochistan has been cruelly exploited by the centre, the targeting of working-class people does nothing to advance the Baloch claim for greater rights. If anything, such attacks only lead to further reprisals against the Baloch people, who deserve better advocates for their rights than the BLA which should not be left to represent all of the Baloch. Essentially, a shift in policy is urgently needed – on all sides. The state must address the long-standing grievances of the Baloch people through political engagement rather than coercion and military action alone. At the same time, Baloch nationalist groups, activists, the diaspora and self-styled revolutionaries on social media must reject violent tactics that ultimately harm their own people. For too long have both sides operated in entrenched positions, with the state relying on repression and insurgent groups responding with bloodshed. This cycle must end.