The insurgency in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has long been a complex and deeply rooted conflict, marked by cycles of violence, instability, and unrest. While some of the grievances are genuine, the evolution of this insurgency in recent decades has seen increasing external interference. Pakistan states that India, the chief actor accused of fueling this unrest, has provided material, financial, and logistical support to insurgent groups, particularly the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a group that several countries have designated as a terrorist organization. While India publicly denies any involvement, Pakistan has repeatedly presented intelligence suggesting that Indian agencies have exploited the legitimate frustrations of the Baloch population to destabilize the region and undermine Pakistan’s internal security.
In the last few months, the number of terror incidents in Balochistan has increased. Alarmingly, most of these attacks target soft targets: civilians, government servants, and laborers from other provinces. There is a discernible ethnic pattern to these attacks, in which the BLA specifically targets laborers from Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seemingly in a bid to instigate inter-ethnic conflict.
Recent Indian support for the BLA stems from the “offensive defense” doctrine of India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. This doctrine advocates for developing capabilities and the resolve to “inflict costs” on hostile actors, both state and non-state, by targeting their vulnerabilities within their own borders and exploiting existing internal divisions. – And this is exactly what India is trying to do in Balochistan.
India’s Strategic Posturing
India’s alleged support for Balochistan separatists extends beyond covert actions. In August 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly mentioned Balochistan, Gilgit, and “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir” during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, thanking their people for supporting India. Many interpreted this unprecedented move as a significant strategic signal to Pakistan, a departure from India’s traditional stance of non-interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs. Pakistani officials quickly responded, arguing that Modi’s statement validated their claims of Indian interference. Then-Foreign Advisor Sartaj Aziz accused India of fomenting terrorism in Balochistan and diverting attention from human rights abuses in Kashmir. Additionally, multiple MPs of the ruling BJP, including Subramanian Swamy and Nishikant Dubey, also called for the disintegration of Pakistan and India’s recognition of Balochistan as an independent state.
Beyond the statements by political leaders, a segment of Indian media and strategic analysts have frequently published articles and participated in discussions that portray Baloch militants as “freedom fighters” or “nationalists” rather than terrorists. Most recently, during the Jaffar Express train attack, Indian media provided a platform to “Bahout Baloch,” a known spokesperson for the BLA, a designated terrorist group, to present the organization’s official statement. This narrative, while not a direct government statement, often shapes public opinion and legitmizes the terror groups like BLA.
The Kulbhushan Jadhav Case
In March 2016, Pakistan arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav, whom it identified as a serving Indian Navy officer and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) operative operating under a false identity. According to Pakistani authorities, Jadhav was captured in Balochistan’s Mashkel area near the Iranian border while organizing sabotage operations and cultivating ties with local insurgent groups. They presented evidence, including a passport issued under the name “Hussein Mubarak Patel”.
A videotaped confession released by Pakistan featured Jadhav admitting to espionage and subversion, specifically naming the BLA and other separatist outfits like the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) as part of his operational ambit. He allegedly confessed to orchestrating bomb blasts and sectarian attacks in Balochistan and Karachi. Pakistan has used the case as its central evidence for the Indian-BLA link, with then-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi frequently citing it in international forums.
BLA’s Public Alignment with India
Further proof of the “increased” India-BLA nexus is the openly pro-india approach of BLA leaders and associated media outlets. In media interviews and social media campaigns, BLA-linked figures have hailed Modi’s statements and called on India to support their cause, not merely diplomatically but militarily. This public outreach marks a significant shift from earlier, more discreet engagements.
BLA leaders, such as Bashir Zeb Baloch and Gohram Baloch, have been quoted in various interviews expressing similar sentiments and appealing to India. The BLA has even offered to act as a “military arm” for India within Pakistan, framing their insurgency as part of a broader anti-Pakistan axis. This became particularly evident after the BLA’s attacks on Chinese interests in Balochistan, such as the November 2018 attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi and the May 2019 attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, both claimed by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade. These attacks, targeting components of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), align with India’s strategic concerns regarding Chinese influence in the region. Such statements go beyond rhetorical affinity, they indicate a strategic desire for alignment. By framing their insurgency as mutually beneficial to Indian interests, the BLA has actively positioned itself as a proxy partner.
Indian Material and Logistical Support
Beyond public gestures and espionage allegations, India also provides the BLA and related groups with funding, arms supply, training, and even medical aid. India uses Afghan soil to arm and support the BLA and other related terrorists. Previously, the Indian consulate in Kandahar managed its Balochistan operations.
A significant breakthrough came in December 2023 when a high-ranking commander of the Baloch National Army (BNA), Sarfaraz Bangulzai, surrendered to Pakistani authorities in Balochistan. Bangulzai confessed to receiving extensive Indian financial and logistical support. This included funding channeled through front organizations in third countries, encrypted satellite communications, and cross-border coordination with Indian handlers.
Perhaps most striking are reports from Pakistani intelligence sources that BLA militants injured in clashes with Pakistani forces received medical treatment in India. Though denied by Indian authorities, Pakistani intelligence traced specific individuals traveling under false identities for treatment, often through third-country transit points like Dubai or Sri Lanka. These individuals would travel on forged documents and receive medical care in major Indian cities. For instance, reports surfaced in 2017 about injured BLA militants receiving treatment in Indian hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi, though these were vehemently denied by Indian officials.
In Summary
The multi-faceted nature of Indian support for the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other affiliated terrorist outfits indicates an infrastructure of backing that extends far beyond mere symbolic alignment. Evidence presented by Pakistani authorities, ranging from militant confessions and financial trails to intercepted communications and foreign-based logistical networks, suggests the existence of a semi-formalized relationship between Indian intelligence agencies, particularly RAW, and terror groups.
This partnership appears to be structured, sustained, and strategically designed to exploit Pakistan’s internal fault lines. Such activities are consistent with India’s broader doctrine of “offensive defence”, which advocates using covert and asymmetric methods to inflict costs on adversaries. By allegedly supporting groups like the BLA, responsible for attacks on civilians, infrastructure, and CPEC projects, India seems to be employing proxy warfare as a strategic tool, mirroring the very tactics it accuses Pakistan of using in Kashmir and elsewhere. This approach threatens regional stability and sets a troubling precedent.
SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.
![US sanctions on Iran's Chabahar Port disrupt India's regional ambitions, bolstering Pakistan's role in South Asian trade. [Image via SAT Creatives]](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SAT-Web-Banners-10-150x150.webp)
![Bangladesh’s evolving foreign relations reshape South Asia’s geopolitics, with growing ties to Pakistan and deteriorating relations with India. [Image via SAT Creatives]](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/11_Dec_DTL-150x150.webp)
Add a Comment