QUETTA: Talat Aziz, a former member of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), publicly surrendered and spoke out against the group in a news conference held in Quetta on Friday.
The press conference was attended by the Provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Balochistan government spokesperson, and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Director General Aitzaz Goraya.
Amid recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan, security forces intensified operations, leading to significant arrests and revelations about the BLA activities.
Talat Aziz, a former BLA member, came forward to expose the group’s underlying motives. He shared his disillusionment after realizing that the BLA’s propaganda sought to manipulate Baloch youth into enmity against fellow Pakistanis, specifically Punjabis.
He expressed regret over his past involvement, appealing to Baloch youth not to fall prey to extremist narratives promoting violence under the guise of independence or grievances regarding missing persons. He urged young people to avoid those who would damage their futures by promoting such ideologies.
Talat Aziz’s revelations underscore the tactics employed by the BLA to recruit and radicalise young individuals, fostering unrest and division within Pakistan. His statements serve as a call for unity and awareness among Baloch youth, urging them to resist misleading influences that exploit regional sentiments for divisive agendas.
Aziz, an alumnus of Punjab University, disclosed that the Baloch Council at the university has been involved in misleading students, including encouraging support for separatist actions in Balochistan.
According to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Director General Aitzaz Goraya, two terrorists involved in a brutal attack on travellers along the Balochistan-Punjab highway, resulting in the deaths of 23 civilians, have been arrested.
The arrests, carried out in Musakhel, were part of a broader security operation where three other militants were killed. Among the arrested individuals is a student from Punjab University who had connections to BLA.
DG CTD Goraya highlighted the group’s exploitation of youth, including children, in terrorist operations and extortion in Dakki. Goraya stated that critical intelligence has been gathered to advance counterterrorism efforts in Loralai and other affected regions.
The DIG CTD mentioned that they have shared information with the provincial government regarding certain activities at Punjab University, and investigations into students’ involvement are underway.
In his remarks, Provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran noted that terrorists in Balochistan were also involved in extortion activities. He emphasized that any individual acting against the state is a terrorist and questioned, “What kind of freedom involves targeting children?”
Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran asserted that such individuals cannot be called “Baloch” and affirmed, “The state knows how to defend its borders. We are Pakistanis, and Pakistan is our identity.”