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BLA’s connections with al-Qaeda, TTP fuelling terrorism in Balochistan
The proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has links to al-Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which is still promoting terrorism, sabotage and destabilisation of the society in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan.
The nexus offers finance, training, weaponry and logistical assistance, enabling the group to use vulnerable local women and youth as instruments for suicide bombings and other anti-state actions.
Senior security officials have repeatedly said that this support from al-Qaeda and TTP has drastically improved the operational capacities of BLA to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other national development projects, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti told the Senate.
The government has said repeatedly that the main backers of the BLA-TTP nexus are al-Qaeda and TTP and that they do this through Afghan territory by attacking people, infrastructure and security forces.
Afghanistan continues to be a crucial refuge for BLA operatives where they train and plan before infiltrating into Pakistan across the border. This cross-border infrastructure allows the movement of facilitators, recruits and suicide bombers.
The foreign-orchestrated network depends mainly on the systematic exploitation of Baloch women and girls. Security operations have regularly caught instances when vulnerable girls were being radicalised, trained and deployed for suicide attacks.
In one case, security authorities in Khuzdar held Laiba (also known as Farzana), a would-be suicide bomber indoctrinated through a network linked to BLA-affiliated commanders and people such as Dr Sabiha, who target financially weak girls through psychological manipulation and pressure. Laiba had been requested to recruit other young women for similar missions.
In a further case, the confessional testimony of Raheema Bibi showed how her husband aided a BLF-linked female suicide bomber Zarina Rafiq. The woman was held at their home before being taken to Afghanistan for training and later carried out an attack on a Frontier Corps camp.
Sindh authorities also thwarted a scheme involving a minor Baloch girl who was groomed through social media by BLA handlers for a suicide strike in Karachi. The teenager later issued a public warning that such acts are against Baloch cultural values that safeguard women’s dignity.
A methodology has been discovered that marks the ideological radicalisation through certain activist platforms followed by recruiting, training in Afghanistan and operational deployment by BLA. Connected networks sometimes turn to “missing persons” narratives to hide militant links when plans go awry.
The BLA has conducted out multiple operations against security forces, Chinese workers, schools, and industrial infrastructure in cooperation with TTP elements and Al-Qaeda.
Security forces have intelligence based operations with backing from local populations. Zero tolerance for terrorism but at the same time rehabilitation and de-radicalization processes for misinformed persons, particularly women and youth.
The government has been consistently asking the parents to keep a check on the internet activities as social media is a huge channel for radicalisation besides the officials pushing for an international action against states utilising proxies for destabilising Pakistan.
Sources in the finance department of the province have said that the Balochistan government will table its budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the third week of June.
The next budget is likely to be surplus and tax-free, continuing the province’s recent fiscal policy stance, the Balochistan Finance Department said.
Total budget outlay is expected to touch Rs1.2 trillion approx.
The education sector is likely to get the highest allocation with an estimated Rs150 billion earmarked for educational development and other expenses.
Officials said the salaries of government personnel are also expected to be increased in line with the pay rise policy of the federal government.
Sources said the federal budget for FY2026-27 was likely to be around Rs18 trillion. Most of the financial issues have been discussed and settled but the virtual negotiations between the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are apparently ongoing on ideas to provide relief to the salaried class.
The IMF has agreed to cut the FBR’s tax collection target for the current fiscal year for the second time, sources said.
The revised objective has been decreased to Rs13.005 trillion from Rs13.979 trillion, according to reports. The government is likely to fix a total tax collection target of around Rs15.264 trillion for the next financial year.
The proposed revenue break-up is Rs7.413 trillion from direct taxes, Rs4.727 trillion from sales tax, Rs1.651 trillion from customs duties and Rs1.043 trillion through Federal Excise Duty.
IMF asks Pakistan to broaden tax net, boost revenue collection
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) is projected to continue to be a major source of government revenue. Sources said the target for PDL collections could be boosted to Rs1.727 trillion in the next fiscal year as against Rs1.468 trillion for this year.
Non-tax revenue is likely to be around Rs2,768 billion while petrol surcharge receipts are estimated at roughly Rs151 billion.
On the spending side, debt servicing will probably remain the major budgetary burden on the federal government. Total interest and debt servicing payments are anticipated to be Rs7.824 trillion. Of that, Rs6.652 trillion is for domestic debt and Rs1.107 trillion for foreign debt servicing.
Sources also say the forthcoming budget may propose new taxing measures of around Rs220 billion to help achieve budgetary targets set with the IMF.
Besides, changes in income tax brackets for salaried people are also allegedly on the cards. The government is looking at ways to provide some assistance to taxpayers in the formal sector.
The federal budget will be delivered in the next several days, providing further insight into taxation, spending objectives and economic strategy for the new financial year.
People had problems during PTI government; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the new NADRA office here on Saturday, the KP governor claimed people’s companies were targeted for political revenge.
KP had resources but its people were going through economic hurdles and difficulties, said Faisal Karim Kundi. Governor announces gas supply project for Kurai, Kotla Syedan
Earlier, Faisal Karim Kundi said the attempts to resume commercial operations at Dera Ismail Khan Airport were being intensified and the facility will soon be rendered operational for ATR flights after completion of the remaining construction work.
Addressing media persons, Kundi thanked Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for his assistance for resuscitation of Dera Airport and said that the carpeting of runway had already been completed and the extra work was under way to resume regular flight operations.
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