Pakistan’s Balochistan to pursue global action against exiled militant commanders

The government of Pakistan’s Balochistan province has launched a global legal campaign to target exiled militant leaders accused of orchestrating a long-running separatist insurgency from abroad, officials said Thursday.

The province plans to request Interpol Red Notices — international alerts seeking the arrest of fugitives — and pursue cases in foreign courts against the heads and hundreds of operatives linked to banned Baloch separatist groups.

The move comes amid years of violence in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran and hosts major Chinese-funded infrastructure projects under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Attacks on security forces and economic targets have disrupted those investments, including projects at the strategic Gwadar port.

Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti chaired a high-level meeting that approved the crackdown against exile-based commanders of groups including the Balochistan Liberation Army, Baloch Republican Army, Baloch Liberation Front, United Baloch Army, Baloch Republican Guards, and Lashkar-e-Balochistan. Some of these groups have previously claimed attacks on Chinese nationals and Pakistani security personnel.

Officials briefed the meeting that consolidated evidence — including communication records, financial transactions, and documented links between overseas militants and local facilitators — has been prepared to meet international legal standards.

Bugti directed provincial authorities to work with Pakistan’s federal interior and foreign ministries to fast-track applications for Interpol Red Notices. He said those involved in violence “will not be allowed to hide anywhere in the world.”

Authorities will also activate a special cell focused on terrorism cases and accelerate pending investigations. Officials said Pakistan intends to present its evidence on funding networks, command structures, and cross-border operations to global institutions and courts, seeking international accountability for militant leadership.

Bugti said exposing what he called “so-called political groups” operating abroad is a state responsibility, arguing they use political cover to mask violent agendas. He said action under Pakistan’s updated counterterrorism laws would be intensified.

The campaign marks what the chief minister described as a “decisive phase” in the province’s efforts to reassert state authority. He said foreign agendas behind violence in Balochistan “have been exposed,” and vowed a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone aiding militants.

“Peace in Balochistan, the safety of its people, and the dignity of the state are non-negotiable,” Bugti said.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Hamza Shafqaat, and senior security officials.