Tensions continue in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan and the government has called for a large number of troops to be deployed amid the security situation in the province with its vast and mountainous topography.
Onlookers walk past a burnt vehicle on the outskirts of Quetta on February 1, 2026, a day after an alleged attack by Baloch militants (AFP)The Pakistani government’s comments came as its security forces killed 22 more people it described as militants in Balochistan, raising the death toll in the province to 177 in the past two days following alleged coordinated attacks at multiple locations.
Officials said the anti-terror operation was launched after militants from the ethnic Baloch group carried out a series of attacks at various locations on Saturday.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been home to a violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have earlier carried out several attacks targeting the $60 billion CPEC projects.
In 2025, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for hijacking the Zafar Express train from Quetta to Peshawar in March, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and taking more than 300 passengers hostage.
Pakistan’s defense minister’s big commentPakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the government would have to deploy a large number of troops in Balochistan due to the province’s vast geography.
Addressing the National Assembly, Asif said troops fighting the insurgents were handicapped by the vastness of the region.
“Balochistan geographically comprises more than 40 percent of Pakistan…It is much more difficult to control than a populated city, and it requires the deployment of huge forces. Our troops are deployed there and are taking action against them (terrorists), but they are physically challenged by guarding and patrolling such a large area.”
Talking about the alleged nexus between criminals and militants, Asif said criminal gangs were operating under the banner of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which protects smugglers.
“In Balochistan, tribal elders, the bureaucracy and those running the separatist movement have formed an alliance,” he said.
The defense minister said smugglers used to earn Tk 4 billion daily from oil smuggling.
Asif argued that rationalizing violence or “dressing it up as a freedom movement” was not acceptable, stressing that the government was committed to eradicating terrorism.
“When you try to rationalize violence or dress it up as a freedom movement, it’s not acceptable because it’s not true. It’s a cover to legitimize criminal activity,” he said.
Anti-India rhetoric is replayedAsif reiterated the Pakistani government’s anti-India rhetoric, claiming that elements supported by India were acting as “proxies” in Balochistan, adding that Afghan soil was also being used to fuel the fires of terrorism in the province.
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“The leadership of the terrorists is based in Afghanistan, and they get support from there,” he said.
It comes two days after India rejected allegations 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.
After the weekend attacks in Balochistan, 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.
