Balochistan terror attacks linked to Afghan-based networks, top officials reveal

QUETTA: Senior provincial authorities on Saturday claimed that recent spikes in terrorism across Balochistan are directly linked to militant networks operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

In a high-level briefing at the Quetta Press Club, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat, DIG CTD Aitzaz Goraya, and Special Assistant to the Home Department Babar Khan Yousafzai stated that terrorists routinely infiltrate from Afghan territory to execute strikes within Pakistan before escaping back across the border. They vowed that security agencies would continue focused operations to eliminate these cross-border facilitation structures.

The officials highlighted a disturbing tactical shift, accusing terrorist organizations of increasingly exploiting women and children as operational tools. They characterized this practice as "inhumane" and a direct violation of established Baloch cultural traditions that prioritize the protection and dignity of women.

The briefing included a video confession from Rahima Bibi, a resident of Dalbandin, in connection with the Nokundi suicide attack. Married in April 2025 to a man named Manzoor Ahmed, she detailed how her husband used their residence as a temporary shelter for a female BLF operative, Zarina Rafiq. Rafiq, who reportedly received training in Afghanistan, later carried out a suicide bombing on a Frontier Corps camp in November 2025.

Rahima Bibi further alleged that her husband fled to Afghanistan in December, abandoning her and their unborn child, and reportedly expressed total indifference toward her life. She was arrested along with her brother on December 8.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) noted that groups like the BLA and BLF are using psychological manipulation and ideological messaging to radicalize vulnerable youth and women. Security assessments also indicated that certain activist platforms contribute to a narrative environment that militant recruiters exploit. Furthermore, officials claimed that when terrorist-linked individuals are intercepted, associated networks attempt to portray the arrests as "missing persons" cases to shift public perception.

Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar was cited as noting that these organizations employ a dual strategy of kinetic violence and coordinated narrative campaigns to weaken societal resistance. Babar Yousafzai added that hostile elements deliberately target social and familial vulnerabilities to disrupt community cohesion.

Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant against social media propaganda and advised parents to verify the backgrounds of prospective suitors before arranging marriages to prevent families from being unwittingly drawn into militant activities. The provincial government reaffirmed that intelligence-led operations, forensic verification, and legal procedures are ongoing to ensure accountability and dismantle the international layers of recruiters and trainers.