Jhal Magsi was left in complete darkness after a BLA attack on power infrastructure — but the real story goes beyond sabotage. In a coordinated move, large-scale theft of transmission wires followed the attack, deepening the crisis for over 50,000 people.
On March 29, the BLA targeted a power transmission line in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan. Shocking revelations have now emerged regarding this incident.
Two days earlier, militants of the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had also targeted 132 kV transmission towers in the districts of Kachhi, Naseerabad, and Sibi. As a result, Gandawah — the headquarters of Jhal Magsi — remained in complete blackout for two days, leaving a population of over 50,000 people in darkness.
Initially, residents believed the power outage was due to a routine technical fault. However, it was later revealed that the disruption was the result of a large-scale theft operation. The attackers first targeted the 132 kV transmission line. Then, overnight, they stole electrical wires from 26 poles of the 33 kV line running from the grid station in Bhag (District Kachhi) to Gandawah.
According to police, five poles were also brought down, completely cutting off electricity supply to Gandawah. A case has been registered against unidentified individuals.
A senior official of the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), speaking on condition of anonymity, told a local journalist that this was the second major theft incident in the past two months. Earlier, wires had been stolen from 24 poles of the Lehri and Bhag feeders in the same area.
It is worth noting that two months ago, the BLA had also claimed responsibility for blowing up a transmission line in Dera Jhal Magsi. Due to security concerns at night, patrol staff are unable to operate effectively, allowing thieves linked to the BLA to exploit the situation.
A QESCO spokesperson confirmed in a statement that conductors (electric wires) were stolen from 26 poles in Bhag between Saturday and Sunday night. However, electricity is being temporarily supplied to Gandawah through an alternative line from Jhal Magsi.
In recent months, dozens of incidents of theft involving electric wires and equipment from 11 kV, 33 kV, and 132 kV transmission lines have been reported across more than 10 districts of Balochistan.
In January this year, thousands of meters of wire were stolen from 24 poles of three feeders at the Quetta Industrial Grid, with estimated losses of at least 7.7 million rupees.
Over the past year, similar large-scale incidents have been reported in Khuzdar, Kachhi, Mastung, and Sibi, where militants carried out attacks and then stole wires and poles.
In the Dasht area of Mastung, wires were stolen from 59 poles of one feeder and 148 poles of the Asimabad feeder. During the same period, wires were cut and taken from 19 additional poles in Mastung and 26 in Sibi. In another incident in Khad Kocha (Mastung), wires were stolen from 45 poles.
In Dasht and Spilinji (Mastung), BLA militants used grenade attacks to bring down 13 towers and removed wires, insulators, and other electrical equipment.Even the support braces of already damaged towers are stolen, increasing the risk of further collapses.
Due to these acts of sabotage and theft, prolonged load shedding continues, with some areas receiving only two to four hours of electricity per day. The lack of electricity has also severely affected internet connectivity.
