New Delhi:India on Sunday rejected accusations by Pakistani civilian and military authorities that New Delhi was linked to a series of attacks in Balochistan as part of Islamabad’s usual strategy to divert attention from internal failings.
Pedestrians walk past a burnt vehicle on the outskirts of Quetta on February 1, 2026, a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. (AFP)Following attacks on nearly a dozen locations in Balochistan that were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that India was behind the coordinated attacks in the southwestern province. The Pakistani army’s media wing claimed the attacks were launched by “Indian-sponsored Fitna al Hindustan”, a term the army uses for the BLA.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Pakistan’s comments by saying: “We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing more than a natural ploy to divert attention from its own internal failings.
“Instead of making absurd demands every time violence occurs, it would be better to focus on resolving the long-standing demands of its people in the region,” he said, referring to Balochistan’s people’s demand for greater autonomy and control over the exploitation of the province’s natural resources, including gas and minerals.
Pakistan’s “record of repression, brutality and human rights abuses is well-known”, Jaiswal said.
Pakistani authorities said the coordinated attacks, which targeted cities such as the provincial capital Quetta and the port city of Gwadar, killed 18 civilians and 15 soldiers. The attack involved suicide bombers and women fighters of the BLA. Pakistan’s army said it killed 133 militants in separate operations in Balochistan.
“India is behind this attack,” Naqvi told a press conference in Quetta late on Saturday night. “I can definitely say that India planned this attack with these terrorists.”
The BLA issued a statement on Saturday saying the group had launched “Operation Hereof 2.0” and claimed responsibility for the attacks at multiple locations across Balochistan.
