Strong Baloch-Kurd Ties & Wider Use of Suicide Attacks
Peshawar (Ghag Report): The director of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies and renowned analyst, Mohammad Amir Rana, has revealed that Baloch militant groups, including the BLA, have had long-standing political, ideological, and organizational ties with Kurdish rebel groups. He further stated that Kurdish groups actively support Baloch militants.
In an exclusive interview, he explained that during General Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, when initiatives for education and other development projects were launched in Balochistan, the influence of Baloch tribal chiefs began to diminish. Consequently, educated youth, through the Baloch Students Organization, became part of resistance groups, leading to today’s complex situation. He added that this entire resistance has backing from multiple groups and countries.
In response to a question, Amir Rana stated that the perception that suicide attacks are solely carried out by religious extremist groups is incorrect. Nationalist and extremist groups from other religions have also been using suicide attacks for a long time, with examples from Sri Lanka and India.
Commenting on the operations of the banned TTP, he noted that military actions such as the Swat Operation and Operation Zarb-e-Azb had significantly weakened these groups. However, they were never eliminated. By 2018, the situation was largely under control, but due to certain internal political developments and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, terrorist activities increased once again.
Currently, Balochistan is under attack from the Baloch Liberation Army and similar groups, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces constant assaults from the banned TTP and others. To combat this, operations are being carried out daily. He emphasized that merely relying on military action will not eliminate terrorism and extremism; the state must also focus on political, economic, administrative, and social reforms.
(March 27, 2025)