Latest news with #BalochistanLiberationArmy
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Baloch Militants Claim Control Of Surab City In Restive Pak Province; Islamabad Blames India
Baloch Militants Claim Control Of Surab City In Restive Pak Province; Islamabad Blames India Source: In a major escalation, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claims to have captured the strategic city of Surab in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The group asserts it now controls police stations, banks, and key government offices after intense clashes that reportedly killed a Station House Officer and a senior official. Pakistani authorities have confirmed the attack but haven't verified the loss of the city. Heavy military deployment has been observed around Surab's outskirts. Watch
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
BRI's debt trap and China's expanding footprint
When Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked its decadal milestone in October 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, 'Viewing others' development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's own life better or speed up one's development.' However, instead of mutually-beneficial interdependence, China today has managed to make 140 countries highly asymmetrically dependent on it for economic investment and trade. Many of these dependencies are a result of the over $1.175 trillion worth of construction contracts and non-financial investments Beijing has undertaken under the BRI. Now, analysts suggest that loans to the tune of a whopping $35 billion may be up for repayment in 2025, and most countries affected are financially vulnerable, developing economies. When compared with the first few years of its launch, the BRI today has changed gears from being a money-pumping endeavour to one focused on 'small but smart and beautiful' projects. This is because, as Xi highlighted in so many words in 2023, the BRI has faced multiple challenges vis-à-vis increasing international hostility, inadequate completion of projects and repayment of loans. If one looks at Pakistan, it owes most of its external debt (~22 per cent of total debt; nearly $29 billion) to China. As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a crown jewel initiative of the BRI in Asia, China promised an investment of $62 billion to Pakistan, of which approximately $26.6 billion has already been infused. The major projects the money has gone to include Special Economic Zones built in Karachi, Sialkot, Risalpur and other key Pakistani cities, the development of the Gwadar Port, and various infrastructure projects including construction of various energy power plants and a Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute. However, the CPEC has not yielded the growth it was supposed to. This is primarily because of the internal dynamics of Pakistan. For example, even though Rawalpindi has created a Special Security Division to protect CPEC projects and personnel, insurgency by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and militancy in Karachi have continued to plague projects. Similarly, frequent electricity cuts and supply shortages have made project completion difficult and energy initiatives untenable. A Chinese government article from 2018 itself argues that Pakistan has problems of corruption and is facing a sharp fall in its foreign exchange reserves. As a result, it has repeatedly sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Another major BRI-indebted economy, and India's neighbour, is Sri Lanka. The Hambantota port, which is owned and operated by Chinese firm CMPort and enables Beijing's strategic foothold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), faces its own hurdles. The key project, an oil refinery on the port, was initiated in 2019, but has yielded no results so far. With Sri Lanka's economic crisis, emerging from massive unpaid sovereign debt (of which, officially, only about 10 per cent was owed to China), the project was halted for many years between 2020 and 2024. Given Sri Lanka's overt dependence on imports for servicing its oil and energy needs, the project has been deemed crucial to yield growth dividends for the island nation. Nonetheless, if true, the claims that the Hambantota port development is mired in corruption due to China's collusion with local elites, may mean that the dividends take a long time to materialise. In this light, Xi has referred to the new BRI as an endeavour to 'take results-oriented actions' and undertake 'a new stage of high-quality development.' Further, the goals of the revamped BRI included emphasising green and sustainable infrastructure development, progress in scientific innovation and people-to-people exchanges, and 'high-level principles of integrity'. To meet these goals, the China Development Bank (CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China also announced in 2023 a 350 billion yuan (~$48 billion) financing window. Further, to enforce integrity and compliance internally, in 2024, China's anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) also launched a widespread campaign against embezzlers and bribers in the BRI financing ecosystem. The crackdown started at the highest levels, with one of the first ones to fall being Wang Yongsheng, former deputy president of CDB, who was expelled from the Communist Party for 'severe violations of Party discipline and the law.' Liu Liange, former President of the EXIM Bank (2015-18), was even given the death penalty by a Shandong province people's court for corruption and illegal issuance of loans in November 2024. While none of these announcements identified corruption as part of BRI projects, the CCDI targeted the most powerful officials, who undoubtedly had a major role to play in decision-making vis-à-vis BRI financing. Externally, the announcement of CPEC 2.0 at the meeting between Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on May 20, 2025, also carried a new message. This 'upgraded version' of CPEC will promote cooperation in industry, agriculture, energy and minerals, security and human resource development, and does not necessarily revolve around mighty infrastructure projects. Similarly, in January 2025, Chinese energy firm Sinopec concluded a fast-tracking agreement with Sri Lanka, to curb any further hindrances that may plague the Hambantota refinery project. None of these challenges seem to indicate that Chinese investment in BRI would halt — they are, however, likely to slow down. In fact, as per numbers released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in late April this year, Chinese enterprises made non-financial direct investments totaling 63.63 billion yuan (~$8 billion) in BRI partner countries, a year-on-year increase of 16.8 per cent. In the same period, construction contracts worth 338.27 billion yuan (~$47 billion) have also been signed with BRI partner countries. In strong economies, BRI investments may lead to GDP growth, minimising any drastic implications for the debt-to-GDP ratio. Singapore is an example for this. However, the biggest victims of a BRI-induced debt trap would be smaller economies in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa, many of which incidentally are also the economies with the most external debt owed to China, and have weak domestic institutional structures. With a lack of global opportunities and alternatives, these economies are unlikely to turn their back on Chinese funding. In this regard, one can only hope that BRI financing focuses on sustainability and deliverability in the coming future, especially because in the first quarter of 2025, global debt has reached a record high of $324 trillion. The writer is Staff Research Analyst, Indo-Pacific Studies Programme, Takshashila Institution
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India's proxy war and the blood of our innocent children
On May 21, 2025, Pakistan woke up to yet another unspeakable tragedy. A suicide bomber targeted a school bus in Khuzdar, Balochistan—killing four innocent children and injuring dozens more. This was not just an act of terrorism—it was a barbaric assault on the very soul of our nation. And it carries all the hallmarks of India's long-standing strategy: bleeding Pakistan through cowardly proxies like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). India, having faced humiliation on the battlefield, is now resorting to the most despicable form of vengeance — targeting unarmed, defenseless schoolchildren. Their failure in conventional confrontation has exposed their true face. The BLA, a foreign-funded militant proxy, is being used to destabilize our region and claim innocent lives. Let there be no doubt: the nexus between Indian agencies and these mercenary terrorists is well-documented, undeniable, and beyond the shadow of doubt. This attack is not an isolated incident — it is a continuation of India's well-planned hybrid war. A war has seen bombings, sabotage, disinformation, and psychological warfare. But now, their desperation has reached a new low: murdering children to make a statement. Pakistan will not be provoked into reckless retaliation. But we will not forget. And we will not forgive. The blood of our children is sacred. It will not be spilled in vain. Those who orchestrated this act — whether they sat in the shadows of New Delhi or acted through rented insurgents—must know: there will be a price. To our enemy: you may plant bombs, but you cannot shake our resolve. You may hide behind proxies, but your fingerprints are on every act of terror. And while your cowardice writes headlines today, our justice will write history tomorrow. Pakistan stands united. We will defend every inch of our land and every child of our soil. The Indian dream of subverting Pakistan through terrorism will fail — just as it failed in war. We owe this to our fallen children. We owe it to their families. And we owe it to our future. Fazal Karim Dadabhoy (Karachi) Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Daily Tribune
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bomb Blast Targets School Bus in Pakistan, Killing Five
At least five people, including three children, were killed and dozens injured after a school bus was targeted in a bomb blast early Monday morning in Pakistan's southwest. According to police, the explosion occurred around 7:40 a.m. local time near the remote town of Khuzdar. The bus was carrying approximately 40 schoolchildren when the device detonated. Images shared on social media show the scorched remains of the bus, with schoolbags and personal items scattered around the site. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region has long been a center of separatist violence, political unrest, and human rights controversies. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the bombing, describing it as 'sheer barbarism' and calling the perpetrators 'beasts who target children.' He said the act was intended to destabilize the country and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice. Pakistan's military accused India and its alleged proxies in the area of being behind the attack—though no public evidence has been provided to support the claim. The accusations come amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, following a two-week-long conflict sparked by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. India responded with military strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, escalating fears of broader conflict. Violence in the southwest has been intensifying. Earlier in March, at least 25 people, including 21 civilians and 4 military personnel, were killed in a train station siege in a remote district. That attack was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the UK, and the United States. Pakistan has previously accused the BLA of being backed by India—a claim the group denies. Human rights organizations and local activists have repeatedly accused Pakistan's security forces of committing abuses in the region, including the forced disappearance of thousands of people over the past two decades. The bombing of a school bus has once again drawn attention to the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis in Pakistan's southwest, with children and civilians caught in the crossfire of a complex and deadly conflict.
Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
New Delhi actively using BLA to orchestrate terror attacks
ISLAMABAD: Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan has once again come under the spotlight, with credible security sources revealing that New Delhi is actively using banned militant outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) to orchestrate terror attacks within Pakistani territory. According to security officials, the recent suicide bombing on a school bus in Khuzdar on May 21 — which martyred three children and two adults and left several others critically injured — is part of a broader Indian-sponsored campaign aimed at destabilising Balochistan. The attack has been described as 'a cowardly act by the BLA under Indian directives'. Security sources highlighted that after suffering major setbacks during Pakistan's successful Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, Indian-backed proxies have intensified efforts to spread chaos through social media threats and coordinated attacks. Following May 10, 2025, multiple known and anonymous Indian social media accounts began issuing threats of violence in Balochistan, further substantiating suspicions of cross-border orchestration. 'India is using groups like the banned BLA to execute terror plots in Pakistan in a desperate bid to divert public attention from its own internal failures,' the sources said. They pointed out that Indian intelligence is actively nurturing terrorism by maintaining at least 21 training camps in Rajasthan to prepare militants for infiltration into Pakistan. Evidence of Indian involvement in Pakistan's internal destabilisation has long been available, with the captured Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav having openly confessed to facilitating terror networks on Indian government's directives. Security sources also revealed that terrorists involved in the Jaffer Express train attack had maintained contact with Indian handlers via Afghanistan — another indication of regional destabilisation efforts coordinated by Indian intelligence. India's political leadership and media have been repeatedly found endorsing and amplifying narratives of groups like the BLA, which have been internationally condemned for terrorism. 'This clearly demonstrates India's state sponsorship of terrorism,' officials said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
