Extremist Organization "BLA" which Hijacked Train in Balochistan, Pakistan | CHINAR24

An Armed Man in the Dry Mountains of Balochistan.
Picture Credit: BBC (Used for Providing Information Only)

On March 11, 2025, an incident took place in the Pakistan's province Balochistan, where a banned extremist organization took hostage a passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar at gunpoint in the Bolan area of Quetta. 

According to sources, on Tuesday, the passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, named Jaffar Express, was forcibly hijacked by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in a tunnel in the Bolan Pass area and was hijacked along with the passengers. There were about 400 passengers on the train, most of whom were government employees working in the security forces. 

The BLA is a militant organization that has been active for the independence of Balochistan for the past several decades, which has become more active in the past few years. It should be noted that the Pakistani authorities have completely banned this organization based on its extremist behaviour.

How did the BLA Come into Being?

The people of Balochistan province have been opposed to Pakistan since the accession to Pakistan in 1947. The state of Kalat was a vibrant and independent state in the past, which was later merged into the country of Pakistan. Since then, there have been a large number of groups in the province of Balochistan that still claim to be an independent state and are seen running organizations and movements against Pakistan.

Armed Militants of Balochistan Liberation Army - BLA.
Picture Credit: Reuters (Use for Providing Information Only)

When Balochistan (the state of Kalat) was made a province of Pakistan in 1947, the prince of the state, Prince Karim, had already declared armed struggle against Pakistan. After that, in 1960, when the supporters of independent Balochistan were arrested by the Pakistan Army, such armed organizations gained more strength and came to the fore with a militant attitude.

Slig Harrison writes in his book that some generals of the Pakistan Army were behind the extremist organizations in Balochistan. They wanted to weaken Pakistan from the very beginning in collaboration with external powers.

In 1970, a militant group formally emerged in Balochistan with the ideology of Balochistan autonomy, which began operations in Balochistan against the Pakistan Army. This group called itself the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). That is, a militant armed group, a militant organization, BLA came to the fore under a philosophy and ideology.

The Rise of BLA in the 1970s

After the formal establishment of BLA, i.e. Balochistan Liberation Army, the big leaders of Balochistan, who had their hands in the government chambers, started leading the BLA. Thus, the movement to make Balochistan independent started gaining momentum. The BLA personnel occupied the routes connecting Balochistan with other provinces of Pakistan. Thus, Balochistan's contact with other provinces of Pakistan was cut off for a while.

The BLA movement gained so much momentum that in the 1970s, the then Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, and Governor, Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo also came out in support of the BLA. As a result, the Balochistan Assembly was dissolved. Later, the Chief Minister and the Governor were arrested by the Pakistani government for conspiring against the government. This case is still remembered as the "Hyderabad Conspiracy Case".

The chapters of history show that by 1974, the BLA had taken control of Balochistan to a large extent and the Pakistani security forces were expelled. Under the leadership of the BLA, all contact with Pakistan was cut off. But then the Pakistani security forces came into action and operations were launched against this militant organization BLA. After several clashes, the Pakistan Army finally entered Balochistan once again. 

The BLA's back was broken when on September 3, 1974, the Pakistan Army conducted an air operation against the BLA in which 125 armed men were killed while more than 900 militants were arrested. Thus, the BLA disappeared from the public scene for some time and the Pakistan Army once again took control of Balochistan.

The Return of BLA after 2000

After 1974, the BLA completely disappeared from the public eye. Its young commanders and leaders fled to Afghanistan and Iran. After 2000, these people returned to Balochistan and started trying to activate the BLA.

During this time, there were many attacks on the security forces of Pakistan. But the matter became serious when the BLA attacked the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. In 2005, during General Pervez Musharraf's visit to Balochistan, missiles were fired by the BLA at the President's convoy at Kohlu and regular firing was carried out.

BLA Attacks on President Musharraf during His Kohlu's Visit.
News by DAWN (15/12/2005)

The area where General Pervez Musharraf was attacked was the area of a famous BLA leader, Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, whose son was the commander of the BLA. Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri's son Balaj Marri was also in contact with the fugitive Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti during this time. After which the Pakistani government killed Balaj Marri in a gunfight.

In 2006, the Pakistani government declared the BLA a proscribed organization and banned it.

After the death of Balaj Marri, the BLA once again went into hiding for some time. Since the BLA did not have any significant leadership after Balaj Marri, the BLA became divided and weakened.

Majeed Brigade, which is Considered the leadership of BLA Today

After the death of Balaj Marri in 2006, BLA split into different groups. One group, led by a commander named Aslam Achu, was in power. Aslam alias Achu played a role in uniting BLA once again and armed groups called "Majeed Brigade" were launched.

In 2013, when CPEC was launched between Pakistan and China and construction work started in Gwadar, Majeed Brigade of BLA under the leadership of Aslam Achu came into the fray once again. This time their target was Chinese nationals who were present in Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan through CPEC. Thus, BLA came into the crosshairs of Chinese interests and started attacking again.

In 2018, Aslam Achu himself was killed in an operation, but the Majeed Brigade he created continued to strengthen in an organized manner.

• In 2018, the Chinese Consulate was targeted by this Majeed Brigade of the BLA.
• In 2019, the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar was targeted. The Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi was also attacked one after the other.
• In 2022, a woman carried out a suicide attack on a group of Chinese teachers at Karachi University. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack.
• In 2023, the BLA used women to attack an FC vehicle in the Turbat area. Shortly after, an FC camp was also targeted.

Current Status of BLA

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is a clandestine organization, so nothing can be said about it with absolute certainty. But according to sources, at present, numerous small military organizations present in Balochistan have joined the BLA. It is also observed that regular BLA troops are standing ready on the Afghanistan and Iran borders. A large number of men as well as women have joined the BLA at present. In addition, evidence also confirms that the BLA has extended its reach to Karachi.

The front army of the BLA, which is called the Majeed Brigade, is currently fighting the Pakistani security forces with modern weapons. According to research, the armed men of the BLA have the latest weapons, including several weapons and protective equipment. Along with the latest explosives, they also have their own weapons manufacturing factories, which are working secretly in the mountains of Balochistan.

According to research, BLA is also in touch with the intelligence agencies of Afghanistan and India. That is why the security forces of Pakistan are active against this terrorist organization. If the head of this BLA is not crushed now, it can prove to be the most deadly for Pakistan and Balochistan province in the future.