Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Monday that the province of Balochistan’s vast and difficult terrain requires a large-scale deployment of security forces, following coordinated terror attacks over the weekend that killed both militants and civilians.
“The state’s bottom line is clear: nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalize violence,” Asif told parliament. “When you try to rationalize violence or dress it up as a freedom movement - it is not acceptable because it is not true. This is a cover to legitimize criminal activities.”
The minister’s remarks came after a weekend of attacks that disrupted life across the province. Pakistani forces killed at least 177 militants over two days of counter-terror operations. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, struck nearly a dozen targets, killing 17 security personnel and 31 civilians.
Pakistan’s government and military have accused India of supporting the BLA, raising concerns of escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, which fought their most intense conflict in decades last May.
Smuggling networks and criminal nexus
Asif highlighted that smuggling, particularly of oil and other commodities, has become a major funding source for criminal and terrorist networks in Balochistan.
“Smuggled Iranian petrol is purchased for around Rs 40 per liter and illegally sold in Pakistan for up to Rs 240 per liter,” he said, warning that such activities cause massive losses to the national exchequer and weaken the formal economy.
The minister alleged a nexus between bureaucrats, tribal elders, and criminal groups operating under the guise of the BLA. He said smugglers earn around Rs 4 billion per day through these operations and claimed the networks are used to finance terrorism.
Security, development and governance challenges
Asif also pointed to development challenges in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and poorest province. He said the region has 15,096 schools, 13 cadet colleges, and 13 major hospitals, but a narrative of deprivation is being deliberately promoted.
He noted that the province receives Rs 933 billion under the National Finance Commission (NFC) and said efforts are underway to make non-operational airports functional.
“Managing such a vast province is an extremely difficult task,” Asif said, addressing issues ranging from missing persons to tribal systems that he claimed have hindered development. He noted that some missing individuals are reportedly abroad while their families continue to receive financial support.
Indian proxies and cross-border threats
The defense minister warned that Indian-backed proxy groups remain active in Balochistan and that elements across the Afghan border are facilitating terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
He questioned the source of sophisticated weapons used by militants, noting that in some cases the arms were more advanced than those of Pakistani security forces.
Asif said the government is taking strict measures to dismantle smuggling and criminal networks, emphasizing that cutting off financial sources is critical to both security and economic stability. He described corruption as a “termite” affecting Balochistan, other provinces, and the federal government, and called for national unity to combat it.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to counter terrorism, disrupt funding networks, and protect Pakistan’s sovereignty from internal and external threats.
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