After years of enduring Indian-sponsored unrest and insurgency in Balochistan, Pakistan has drawn a decisive line. A new phase in the state’s approach has begun, one that will no longer tolerate those who continue to act as instruments of foreign agendas. Those unwilling to disengage from India’s proxy war in the region will now face the consequences of their choices.
The intelligence-based operation that led to the dismantling of a major network today is not an isolated success; it is the first of many steps toward ending the cycle of violence. It’s a message to every insurgent: continuing to act as pawns in the hands of foreign powers will bring neither glory nor benefit, neither to themselves nor to the people they claim to fight for.
For Baloch militants still clinging to a narrative of rebellion, this is a moment to pause and reflect. Because the very figures who once led the insurgency, those once idolised as icons of resistance, have themselves walked away from the path of bloodshed. Their transformation tells a deeper truth.
The Case of Gulzar Imam and Sarfraz Bangulzai
Gulzar Imam Shambay, founder of the Baloch National Army and once viewed as a strategic genius, even mythologised as “beyond human intellect”, was considered the soul of the armed movement. His successor, Sarfraz Bangulzai, was no less significant. Regarded as Imam’s most intelligent and committed companion, Sarfraz infused the armed struggle with a sense of mission and identity.
Yet both leaders have now turned their backs on the very cause they once personified.
Gulzar Imam has openly admitted that the gun has brought only ruin to the Baloch people. Sarfraz Bangulzai, who surrendered with seventy of his men two years ago, has declared that their decades-long struggle was, in hindsight, a regret, one fuelled by manipulation from India, Afghanistan, and other foreign powers pursuing their own strategic goals. These are not hollow statements; they are confessions born of experience, of clarity gained after years in the shadows of war.
They now advocate for constitutional, political, and democratic engagement as the only path forward for Balochistan. And when leaders of such stature — once unshakeable in their anti-state beliefs — embrace peace, it raises a critical question for those still fighting:
What can today’s armed insurgents hope to achieve that their own commanders could not?
The Time for Reflection Is Now
It is no longer tenable for Baloch militants to continue marching to the beat of India’s agenda. The state has not only exposed the foreign links behind the unrest but has also created space for former fighters to reintegrate, rebuild, and reclaim their role in shaping a peaceful future.
This is not a call for surrender. It is a call for higher wisdom.
When leaders like Gulzar and Sarfraz, once revered for their militancy, now champion peace, other insurgents must take heed. They must recognize that their cause has been hijacked, that they are bleeding their own people, and that the only lasting legacy they can leave is through dialogue, development, and unity.
A Path Toward Progress
Every conflict in modern history that achieved meaningful change did so not through endless violence but through negotiation, inclusion, and reform. The same path awaits Balochistan — but only if its remaining militants choose it.
The sooner our estranged Baloch brothers understand this truth, the better it will be for Balochistan, for the Baloch people, and for Pakistan as a whole. Their contribution is not just welcome — it is essential. A prosperous Balochistan is not only possible, it is within reach, but it requires choosing the pen over the gun, nation-building over nation-burning.
This is the moment to break free from being tools of foreign agendas, and instead become pillars of a united Pakistan, one that respects its diversity, protects its people, and moves forward together.
