A new wave of state subversion in Balochistan is being carried out not by uniformed terrorists, but by those hiding in plain sight, terrorists disguised as civilians, government employees, and “rights activists.” At the centre of this deception is Fitna-e-Hindustan، a term used by the state to describe the nexus of BLA, BYC, and Indian propaganda and militancy targeting Pakistan from within.
The recent death of Waseem Kashani in Panjgur, caught planting an IED, has pulled the mask off this sinister model. Kashani, reportedly a government employee drawing state benefits, was in fact a long-time operative of the BYC، a group often presented as a youth or rights movement but increasingly exposed as a front for armed insurgency.
Shockingly, BYC spokesperson “Bahot” publicly admitted Kashani was a guerrilla fighter, someone who posed as a state servant by day but served the anti-state terror network by night.
Analysts say Kashani’s case isn’t isolated; it reflects a disturbing pattern. These sleeper operatives exploit civilian status to avoid suspicion, access sensitive areas, and blend in — until they strike. And when the state neutralises them, a chorus of orchestrated outrage erupts on social media, led by familiar names like Mahrang and Sami Deen, who recast these terrorists as “innocent Baloch civilians.”
Had Waseem Kashani been captured alive, it’s likely the same narrative machine would have been activated, branding him a victim of state oppression. But his exposure through irrefutable evidence of terrorism has forced that narrative into sudden silence.
This duplicity, where terror is cloaked in civilian identity, is precisely what’s prolonging conflict in Balochistan. It allows the BLA and BYC to operate with cover, blur the line between combatants and non-combatants, and internationalise a false narrative of state abuse while ignoring their own campaign of violence and sabotage.
State security sources say these operatives form part of a hybrid warfare strategy: infiltrate from within, destabilise institutions, and delegitimize the state under the guise of civil rights. Once exposed, they seamlessly shift roles, from attackers to “activists,” from bomb planters to “students,” depending on the media climate.
The reality, however, is becoming harder to hide. Waseem Kashani’s case lays bare the tactics of Fitna-e-Hindustan, and offers a critical reminder: Not every civilian is innocent. Some wear that mask to hide a far darker mission.
Now is the time to recognize the real faces behind the facade.
