The Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) ‘Operation Herof Phase 2.0’ has sent shockwaves through Pakistan, with attacks on January 31 targeting 48 sites across 14 cities in Balochistan, from Quetta to Gwadar and Chagai. This surge in militancy reveals the explosive tensions in a province starved of development despite its mineral wealth.
Conflicting casualty figures emerged: Pakistan claims dozens of fighters dead; BLA boasts major blows to the military. Beyond the numbers, experts like Daniel Kaplan in One World Outlook trace the insurgency’s origins to Pakistan’s chronic mistreatment of Balochistan. Decades of exploitation, forced disappearances, extrajudicial murders, and crushed peaceful protests have poisoned relations, turning communities against the state.
Rich in gold, copper, and gas, Balochistan languishes in poverty. Mega-projects extract billions, but locals get crumbs—no royalties, no jobs, no voice. This fuels perceptions of colonial plunder, secured by a massive military presence that prioritizes pipelines over people. The result? A cycle of resentment and resistance.
Enforced disappearances stand out as the insurgency’s flashpoint. Thousands missing since the 2000s, per official records, with zero prosecutions. Rights groups detail abductions of students, journalists, and activists, followed by torture and ‘kill and dump’ bodies. In 2025, UN rapporteurs slammed this pattern, demanding accountability Pakistan has dodged.
Flashpoints abound: the 2025 security forces’ killing of student Hayat Baloch ignited fury. Gwadar’s 2023 Haq Do Tehreek rallies faced brutal suppression and internet cuts. Rigged 2024 polls deepened alienation. The arrest of Mahrang Baloch in March 2025, amid torture allegations, shows how silencing voices drives women and youth to arms.
Kaplan warns this armed revolt signals governance collapse. Without addressing root grievances—through inclusion, justice, and development—the flames of Balochistan’s rebellion will only intensify, threatening Pakistan’s stability.
