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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.
Latest News
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 occurs close to Naples, Italy, resulting in damage and disruptions.
- A magnitude 4.7 earthquake hit the Campi Flegrei area near the southern Italian city of Naples on Friday, causing power cuts, disrupting train and metro services and damaging some buildings, authorities said.
The quake was registered around 7.46 pm (1746 GMT). Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology stated the epicentre was in the Campi Flegrei area west of Naples at a depth of around 3 km (2 miles).
The Italian fire department said there had been minimal damage to buildings in and around Naples, but workers had not received immediate demands for help or rescue of occupants.
Local rail and metro services were suspended as a precaution, local officials said.
According to Italian media, it was one of the greatest earthquakes ever registered in the region, with people in some areas pouring into the street as the tremors hit.
The government has increased surveillance of the heavily populated volcanic caldera of Campi Flegrei, which spans much of western Naples and has seen growing seismic activity in the past several years.
The region is regularly hit by tiny quakes but greater ones have stoked fears of a repetition of the seismic crisis that rocked Campi Flegrei in the early 1980s, disrupting life across the region and forcing thousands of people from their homes.
Italy is a country at risk of earthquakes.
Central Italy was hit by severe quakes in 2016, destroying areas of Lazio, Umbria and the Marche provinces, killing over 300 people.
The most destructive in recent decades was a 6.9-magnitude quake that rocked the Irpinia region of southern Italy in November 1980, killing over 2,700 people and destroying hundreds of villages.
Business
For three days, Pakistan lowers the price of petrol and diesel.
For a three-day period starting on August 1, the government has announced a slight decrease in the cost of petroleum products, including gasoline and high-speed diesel (HSD).
The Petroleum Division said that the price of high-speed diesel has been lowered by Rs0.66 per litre, resulting in a new retail price of Rs392.38 per litre.
Additionally, the price of gasoline has been lowered by Rs0.12 per litre, to Rs336.03 per litre.
According to the letter, the updated pricing will go into effect between August 1 and August 3.
According to the administration, the little cut was taken after accounting for both domestic economic and budgetary factors as well as global oil costs.
In light of persistent economic pressures and swings in the world’s crude oil markets, the most recent adjustment provides customers with little respite.
The most recent update comes after the government regularly reviews fuel costs, which are decided by the currency rate, domestic tax laws, and global market trends.
Business
FBR surpasses its July revenue goal by Rs40 billion.
In July 2026, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected Rs820 billion in net revenue, exceeding the monthly target by Rs40 billion.
The July tax collection target was set at Rs780 billion, but net receipts came in at Rs820 billion, according to FBR documents.
According to the papers, gross tax collections for the month totaled Rs918 billion. Net receipts were Rs820 billion after Rs98 billion of this sum was reimbursed to taxpayers under different refund categories.
Gross collections under the income tax head was Rs343 billion. Net income tax revenues fell short of the objective of Rs323 billion, coming in at Rs308 billion after the payment of Rs35 billion in refunds.
In July, sales tax collections came to Rs413 billion, while sales tax refunds were Rs53 billion.
The Federal Excise Duty (FED) collected Rs48 billion, compared to the objective of Rs47 billion, according to the FBR.
In July 2026, customs duty receipts totaled Rs115 billion, surpassing the designated objective of Rs105 billion by Rs10 billion.
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