TO defeat terrorist groups that have caused immense bloodshed in Balochistan over the past few decades, the state must take a multifaceted approach. This must include the kinetic factor, as evidenced by Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 1, which the authorities launched after last week?s deadly terrorist attacks in the province.
However, beyond this, there must be complementary legal actions, as well as political and socioeconomic steps to address both the immediate threat of separatist violence and the underlying factors that fuel it. The need to recalibrate the national counterterrorism policy to address fresh threats has been recently mentioned in this space. Yet the state must also mount a campaign on the foreign front to confront inimical actors in the region who appear to be playing a role in fuelling terrorism in both Balochistan and KP. In this regard, Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to ?act swiftly? and list the BLA as a terrorist outfit.
The BLA and other separatist terrorist groups have already been proscribed in Pakistan, while the US and UK have taken similar steps. But if the UNSC were to formally proscribe these groups, it would help in tightening the dragnet around them and squeezing their finances, while those foreign actors who aid them would have to think twice about providing material support to globally proscribed terrorists.
While the Taliban regime in Kabul provides a safe haven for the banned TTP, the state believes that India supports Baloch groups in their efforts to destabilise Pakistan. Therefore, the state must step up its campaign at the UN and other international forums to ensure that no foreign player is able to aid these bloodthirsty outfits. In the past, Pakistan has provided several dossiers containing evidence of Indian involvement in terrorist activities within its borders. A similar effort is needed now to help end foreign interference in Balochistan.
Yet simply proscribing groups will not be enough. For example, Pakistan has over the decades banned several terrorist and sectarian groups. While some have been dismantled, others continue to operate with lower profiles. Therefore, it is important to pursue legal steps against the individuals involved in terrorism in Balochistan and elsewhere. Their finances must be cut off, and their arms supply severed.
These groups claim to fight for the ?Baloch cause?, yet are involved in the heinous crimes of murdering innocent Baloch and non-Baloch civilians. But as we have said before, the kinetic and legal battle against terrorism in Balochistan must be supported by efforts to uplift the socioeconomic profile of the province, as well as creating the groundwork for an inclusive democratic process where all non-violent groups that respect the Constitution can work to politically address Balochistan?s problems.
Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2026
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