On April 9, 2006, the federal government of Pakistan formally declared the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) a terrorist organisation, invoking its powers under Section 11-B of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The decision marked a major step in the state’s response to the escalating terrorism and attacks in Balochistan during the mid-2000s.
According to the official notification issued at the time, the government banned the BLA due to its involvement in a series of terrorist and sabotage activities across the province. Authorities said the group had carried out rocket attacks on national installations, security forces and civilian targets, and was also responsible for planting landmines in different areas of Balochistan.
The move meant that the organisation was placed on the list of proscribed groups, making membership, financial support or any form of assistance to the BLA a criminal offence under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws.
Then Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah told reporters that anyone found associated with the BLA or supporting its activities would face prosecution under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Investigations into several past incidents, he said, suggested that many of the attacks had been planned and executed by BLA operatives with the aim of creating instability in Balochistan.
Following the ban, authorities sealed offices linked to the group and froze bank accounts believed to be associated with it. Several suspected operatives were also arrested, and officials claimed some had admitted involvement in militant activities during investigations.
Security and intelligence agencies also maintained that they had credible evidence suggesting foreign support for the organisation. Officials alleged that the group operated “farrari camps,” training facilities where militants were prepared to carry out sabotage and attacks.
At the time, the BLA was led by Balach Marri, son of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri. Balach Marri, who had served as a member of the Balochistan Assembly, lost his legislative seat after being identified as the head of the banned organisation. He faced multiple criminal cases, including those related to landmine explosions and bomb attacks.
The issue also drew regional attention. Jan Muhammad Jamali, former chief minister of Balochistan and former deputy chairman of the Senate, publicly said that Indian consulates in Afghanistan were assisting the BLA’s activities.
In a related development later that month, Gazin Marri, Balach Marri’s brother and a former provincial home minister of Balochistan from 1993 to 1996, was arrested in Dubai on allegations of money laundering.
The designation of the BLA as a terrorist organisation in 2006 became a defining moment in Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy in Balochistan. It laid the legal foundation for the state to pursue the group under anti-terrorism laws, freeze its assets and target its network of operatives.
Nearly two decades later, the decision remains a significant milestone in the history of the conflict in Balochistan and continues to shape how the Pakistani state addresses militant groups operating in the province.
