KARACHI: According to unconfirmed reports, at approximately 4:15 AM today, a swift joint operation by the Counter-Terrorism Task Force and intelligence agencies was conducted in the suburban area of Hazara Goth, Karachi.
A high-value BLA operative, Zakariya Ismail—whose real name is Zulfiqar—was captured alive from a concealed hideout attached to a commercial warehouse.
Initial investigations reveal that Zulfiqar is a key figure in the BLA’s Karachi cell. Recovered from him were a Thuraya satellite phone, a 9mm Glock pistol, a fake Afghan ID card, and $11,800 in cash. Phone records show a 3-minute, 41-second call to an Indian number based in Delhi just hours before the May 21 Khuzdar school bus bombing, confirming his direct contact with Indian handlers.
Further inquiry disclosed that in 2023, he traveled to Delhi via Dubai using a fake identity and underwent sabotage and IED training from RAW’s Balochistan desk.
He was placed at Karachi University’s Law Department to expand the sleeper network—ironically, the same campus where BLA suicide bomber Shari Baloch targeted Chinese teachers in 2022. Due to suspicious activities, his plans were disrupted before he could act.
Call records also confirm contact with BLA field commander Hamid Dawood in Khuzdar 29 minutes before the school bus attack. Forensic analysis of the remote detonator matched the signal frequency of Zakariya’s satellite phone.
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His arrest is not just the capture of one terrorist but a significant blow to the BLA-RAW nexus, potentially reshaping international discourse on India’s covert operations in Balochistan.
