The day BLA lost the plot

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has long sought to convince the world that it is a nationalist separatist movement, a group fighting for the so-called “rights” of the Baloch people. For years, it has cloaked itself in the rhetoric of resistance, feeding off the emotions of a marginalized population and painting itself as a force of liberation. But what kind of ‘freedom fighters’ hijack a train full of innocent men, women, and children? What kind of ‘nationalist movement’ takes ordinary passengers hostage, subjecting them to hours of terror, fear, and uncertainty? The hijacking of Jaffar Express on March 11, was not just an attack—it was an admission. In a single act of brutality, BLA crossed the final threshold, transforming overnight from a separatist organization into a full-fledged terrorist group.

Before this incident, the BLA had carefully crafted its image as a movement sparking nationalist sentiment among the Baloch people, positioning itself as their defender against perceived oppression. Lately, the movement changed its course and started hitting softer targets along highways and far-flung Levies stations and police posts. For the movement’s chain of command, these actions were sufficient to continue the propaganda war, but the handlers didn’t realise that the people have started rejecting their rhetoric. Loss of innocent lives is not palatable irrespective of who it is. But after the Jaffar Express hijacking, that sentiment has turned into fury, resentment, and rejection. People who once considered BLA to be fighting for their rights now see its true face—one drenched in blood, devoid of morality, and consumed by an insatiable thirst for destruction. This was not an attack on military installations, not a confrontation between armed groups. This was an act of cowardice, an assault on unarmed civilians, an atrocity against the very people BLA pretends to represent. If it ever had a cause, it lost it on that day. If it ever had credibility, it burned it to the ground. If it ever had sympathizers, they are vanishing fast. The current incident has labeled them a Terrorist Organization from a movement. It has legitimized government and Law Enforcement Agencies to crack down on them. Are they prepared to fight the state?  

Can any state condone such act of barbarism? Except for a few opportunists—some voices in the Indian media and a handful of “political acolytes” in Pakistan who have their vested interests—the entire world has condemned this barbaric act. There is no longer a debate, no more grey areas. There is no more confusion about what BLA is. The world recognizes it for what it truly is—a terrorist outfit, no different from the groups it once pretended to oppose. Every action it takes now only further cement this identity. No political cause, the struggle for autonomy, or the narrative of oppression can justify what it has done. The innocent passengers of Jaffar Express were not enemies, and yet faced death; they were held at gunpoint, forced into a living nightmare, victims of an ideology that thrives on violence, chaos, and destruction.

Perhaps the handlers of BLA are satisfied, watching from afar as their mission of sabotage plays out, revelling in the disruption they have caused. Perhaps they believe they have dealt another blow to Pakistan, destabilizing the nation and shaking its people. But what they have failed to grasp is that this hijacking did not weaken Pakistan; it strengthened its resolve. It did not divide the people; it united them against a common enemy. It did not spread sympathy for the BLA—it obliterated whatever little support it once had. The world has seen the truth, and the people of Balochistan have woken up. This was the moment BLA exposed itself beyond redemption – BLA has lost the plot.

Terrorist organizations do not survive without public support. They rely on fear, but fear is not loyalty. They thrive on deception, but deception is not trust. The BLA has lost both. It can no longer hide behind the banner of nationalism. It can no longer claim to be fighting for the people of Balochistan when they want nothing to do with it. It can no longer wear the mask of a political struggle when its actions scream terrorism louder than any declaration ever could.

There is no return from this. No propaganda can undo what has been done. No excuse can erase the memory of terrified passengers trapped inside a train, held hostage by the very group that once claimed to be their protector. No foreign backer, well-crafted statement, or strategic alliances can change the fact that the BLA has lost it all. It may still exist, but it no longer matters. Its name is now synonymous with betrayal, treachery, and terrorism. It has not liberated anyone. It has only condemned itself to irrelevance, a fading shadow of an organization that once sought power through manipulation but ultimately destroyed itself through its reckless violence. The world has spoken, the people have seen, and the truth is undeniable: The Balochistan Liberation Army has lost the Plot.

Omay Aimen

— The author is an independent researcher who writes on issues concerning national and regional security, focusing on matters having critical impact in these milieus. She can be reached at omayaimen333@gmail.com