By: Adnan Saleem Baloch
Dissent is a democratic right, but what happens when dissent crosses the threshold of peace and becomes a façade for terrorism? What happens when slogans of rights and representation camouflage a deeper, darker intention to destabilize the state from within?
Balochistan is bleeding not because of the state, not because of the army, but because of those who claim to be its saviours.
The so-called Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), backed by foreign hands and misguided ideologies, has created nothing but pain on the people they claim to represent. In addition, for years, they have turned the serene mountains of Makran, Kalat, and Awaran into fortresses of terror, and when their foreign funding dried up, when their political proxies were exposed and jailed, their desperation escalated into chaos.
Furthermore, a decisive military operation is underway in Balochistan under the leadership of Field Marshal General Asim Munir. It is a necessary response to years of insurgency that has stopped the progress of a province.
The Pakistan Army, for all the accusations thrown its way, is not conquering Balochistan it is protecting it. It is shielding its people from those who wish to burn it down to ashes, only to rebuild it under the flag of separatism and foreign influence.
In this sense, one of the most disturbing developments has been the weaponization of narrative. Mahrang Baloch, the daughter of Ghaffar Lango a known Baloch activist has emerged as a vocal symbol of the so-called “Baloch struggle.”
She carries the aura of a rights activist, but her language and intentions are far more radical. She sends messages that indirectly glorify or rationalize the cause of BLA terrorists. She denies the legitimacy of the state and paints Pakistan as a colonizer. That is not activism. That is ideological militancy.
It breaks my heart to see our national capital, Islamabad, turned into a stage for such dangerous performances. The sit-in that continues there in the name of human rights is not an innocent protest. It is a well-managed, fake social media media play designed for foreign consumption.
Western media channels are quick to mention images of women protesting, of students demanding rights, but they fail to see what lies beneath: a subtle endorsement of the very terrorists responsible for planting bombs in schools, for executing teachers, and for kidnapping development workers.
The people who suffer the most from BLA’s actions are not generals in GHQ they are the ordinary Baloch men, women, and children. These terrorists attack the very roads and infrastructure projects meant to bring prosperity. They murder Baloch policemen and Levies officers who have dedicated their lives to safeguarding their own soil.
How ironic or perhaps intentional that the same people who protest in Islamabad for Baloch rights, remain silent when a Baloch soldier is martyred by the BLA.
It’s time we stop confusing human rights with terrorist appeasement.
I am not blind to the historical grievances of the Baloch people. Yes, there have been mistakes. There has been negligence. There is a need for more inclusion, more education, and more representation. But the answer is not terrorism. The answer is not standing beside militants. The answer is not sending your youth to the mountains with guns in their hands instead of books in their bags.
I know many Baloch families personally. They don’t want separation. They don’t want war. They want peace, progress, and prosperity just like every other Pakistani, but their voices are being drowned out by a handful of radicals who’ve hijacked their narrative.
These radicals, often sitting in comfortable drawing rooms in Europe or the U.S., preach revolution while sipping coffee never facing the bullets they encourage others to take.
The military operation currently underway is not against Balochistan. It is for Balochistan. The goal is to dismantle the networks of terror, to bring back security, and to open the door for real development. I’ve seen it with my own eyes the transformation in areas where peace has returned. Schools reopening, hospitals functioning, roads connecting remote areas, and most importantly a return to normalcy. That is the real liberation. That is what true patriotism looks like.
Meanwhile, it is important to acknowledge that the natural resources of Balochistan belong to its people, but they also belong to the collective fabric of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Army is not exploiting these resources it is protecting them from being stolen or destroyed by the BLA and its allies.
We need unity, faith, and discipline now more than ever. This trio is not just a national motto; it is a survival guide. We cannot allow our nation to be divided by ethnic lines, by fake narratives, or by foreign agents disguised as activists.
Our youth especially the Baloch youth deserve truth, not terrorism. They deserve education, not extremism. They deserve a future within the embrace of Pakistan, not in the shadows of separatist slogans.
I stand with the people of Balochistan. I stand with the parents who want a better life for their children. I stand with the teachers, the farmers, the doctors, and the students who believe in a united, progressive Pakistan. And yes, I stand with the security forces who are putting their lives on the line to ensure that peace is not just a dream but a living, breathing reality.
Also Read: BLA terrorists loot, torch shop in Dasht-e-Makser
The time for silence is over. The time for pretending neutrality is over. Choose your side not based on what social media trends, not based on what foreign media says but based on truth. I have chosen mine.
