Train attack by militants in Baluchistan: What is the BLA and how did its leadership reach from the chieftains to the middle class?

In Pakistan's Baluchistan province, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken passengers hostage after stopping a Quetta-to-Peshawar train in the Bolan Pass. Security sources confirmed the militant hostage crisis, stating that militants ambushed it at the Dhadar area on Tuesday, forcing it to stop inside a tunnel before taking passengers hostage. In a statement, the BLA Majeed Brigade claimed that all hostages were government employees, including personnel from security forces and law enforcement agencies. The Baluchistan separatist movement has been active for over a decade, but in recent years, the group and its militant wing, Majeed Brigade, have intensified and expanded their attacks. Recently, Pakistan urged the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on the Majeed Brigade. The BLA militant activities have already led to the group being banned in both Pakistan and the United States under terrorism laws.

Establishment of BLA

The origins of the Baloch insurgency history in Baluchistan date back to the province’s accession to Pakistan, when Prince Karim of Kalat initiated an early Baloch militancy through an armed struggle. In the 1960s, another small insurgent movement emerged after Nauroze Khan and his sons were arrested. In his book, author Selig Harrison mentions that this movement was led by Sher Mohammad, also known as General Sheroff Marri, who was a follower of Karl Marx’s ideology. His role significantly influenced the BLA ideology and objectives, as it later embraced elements of Marxist guerrilla warfare. The Baloch armed struggle became more organized and ideologically driven in the 1970s when the province’s first elected assembly and government were dismissed. At that time, Sardar Ataullah Mengal was the Chief Minister, and Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo was the Governor—both affiliated with the Baluchistan separatist movement through the National Awami Party (NAP). Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri and Sher Mohammad (General Sheroff Marri) were among the separatist leaders at the forefront. During this period, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) formation took place, marking its first emergence as an organized militant entity. Baluchistan's first provincial assembly and government were dissolved within just 10 months, and several key NAP leaders, including Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Ataullah Mengal, and Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, were arrested and tried for conspiracy against the government—a case later known as the Hyderabad Conspiracy Case. Dr. Rizwan Zeb, a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Iqra International University, writes in his article “The Roots of Resentment” in Friday Times that just six weeks after the dismissal of Baluchistan's government, attacks on government forces and convoys began, increasing BLA militant activities in the region. A major attack occurred on May 18, 1973, when insurgents targeted Dir Scouts at Tandori. Militants were particularly active in areas such as Sarawan, Jhalawan, and the Marri-Bugti regions, strengthening the BLA leadership evolution by shifting from tribal chieftains to middle-class militants. By July 1974, according to Dr. Zeb, insurgents had gained control over several roads, severing communication with other parts of the country. Train services were also disrupted, intensifying the Baluchistan separatist movement against the state. Journalist and analyst Shehzada Zulfiqar notes that in central Baluchistan, from Kalat and Khuzdar to Lasbela, the Mengal tribe dominated the resistance, playing a crucial role in BLA insurgency history. The situation changed dramatically on September 3, 1974, when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched an airstrike on Chamalang, killing 125 militants and capturing nearly 900, dealing a significant blow to the BLA militant activities. Following the overthrow of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government and General Zia-ul-Haq’s military coup, peace talks between the Baloch nationalist leaders and the government led to an end to the armed rebellion, temporarily pushing the BLA origins into the background.

Baluchistan's first assembly and government were dismissed in just 10 months.

The second birth of BLA

Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) resurgence began when Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri moved to Afghanistan, accompanied by a significant number of Marri tribesmen who also settled there. During his stay in Afghanistan, he established a study circle called Haq Tawar, which played a crucial role in the revival of BLA. Later, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, he returned to Pakistan and continued the Haq Tawar study circle, which attracted many young followers. Among them was Ustad Aslam Acho, who later became a commander of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), marking the BLA re-emergence. Since BLA after 2000, attacks on government installations and security forces in various parts of Balochistan began to intensify. However, the situation worsened in December 2005 when rockets were fired during former President General Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Kohlu. Shortly after, there was an alleged attack on a Frontier Corps helicopter, signaling the new wave of BLA insurgency. Kohlu, the ancestral village of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, became the focal point of military operations following the attack on Musharraf. Around the same time, his son Balach Marri, who was based in Afghanistan, started being recognized as a key commander of the Baloch militant resurgence. When Nawab Akbar Bugti went into the mountains, Balach Marri and BLA maintained contact with him. In 2006, the Government of Pakistan officially declared the BLA a banned organization, marking a crucial shift in the Baloch separatist movement revival. Pakistani authorities identified Balach Marri as its leader. On November 21, 2007, Balach Marri was killed in an alleged military operation near a roadside in Afghanistan. Following his death, Pakistani officials claimed that his brother, Nawabzada Hyrbyair Marri, who was residing in the United Kingdom, had taken over as the new leader of the BLA leadership transition. However, Hyrbyair Marri strongly denied these allegations.

How did the BLA leadership reach from the chiefs to the middle class?

After the BLA leadership shift following the death of Balach Marri, the transition of BLA leadership was associated with Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri’s son, Hyrbyair Marri, who was later arrested in London. However, he was eventually released. During this period, reports of changing leadership dynamics in BLA surfaced as differences between Hyrbyair Marri and his younger brother, Mehran Marri (also known as Zamran Marri) became apparent. As a result, Mehran Marri distanced himself, leading to a BLA power shift from elites to militants—transitioning the group's leadership from the tribal chiefs to the middle class. This evolution of BLA leadership brought forward young militant leaders, most notably Ustad Aslam (Aslam Acho), who played a crucial role in the BLA organizational restructuring. He modernized Majid Brigade and introduced Fidai (suicide) missions, shifting Baloch separatist activities from the mountains to urban areas, particularly Karachi. The BLA command transition took a significant turn in August 2018, when the group claimed responsibility for its first-ever suicide attack. This attack was carried out by Aslam Baloch’s son near Dalbandin, the headquarters of Chagai District, targeting a Chinese company.

The trend of suicide attacks

The rise of suicide bombings in BLA began after the establishment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2013, which integrated Baluchistan, particularly Gwadar Port, into its framework. Following this development, the Baloch insurgency escalated, and armed groups started targeting Chinese interests, marking the evolution of BLA suicide missions. In 2018, the Majid Brigade and suicide missions gained prominence when its bombers targeted the Chinese Consulate in Karachi. Later that year, in December 2018, Aslam Acho, a key leader of the BLA militant resurgence, was killed in an attack in Kandahar. After Ustad Aslam’s death, BLA leadership transition led to Bashir Zeb, a former Baloch Students Organization (BSO) chairman, assuming control. Under his leadership, BLA’s adoption of suicide tactics intensified, and for the first time, female suicide bombers in BLA became active. In 2019, a suicide attack in Baloch insurgency targeted the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, followed by the Pakistan Stock Exchange attack in Karachi in 2020. The rise of Fidai attacks in BLA continued in 2022 when Shari Baloch carried out a suicide attack at Karachi University, specifically targeting Chinese professors at the Confucius Institute. Under Bashir Zeb’s leadership, BLA’s organizational restructuring saw an increase in social media propaganda while also expanding its operational targets. In 2023, a female suicide bomber, Samiya Qalandrani, attacked a Frontier Corps (FC) vehicle in Turbat. Samiya was engaged to Rehan, the son of Aslam Acho, further solidifying BLA command transition. The following year, another woman, Mahil Baloch, executed a suicide attack on an FC camp in Bela, marking another phase in BLA’s suicide bombing trend.

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