Balochistan: BLA says it did not attack Karachi Stock Exchange

QUETTA: The spokesperson of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement to media said that it has nothing to do with the Karachi Stock Exchange attack adding that ‘attacking public places is not part of our strategy. The young men used in the attack were never part of the BLA.’

Referring to a statement by a splinter group who claimed the responsibility for the KSE attack, Azad Baloch said that the elements that carried out the attack using the BLA’s name have long since been expelled from the organisation. “Bashirzaib, an area commander, was suspended for violating the organisation’s discipline and later his basic membership was revoked,” he said.

Azad Baloch said that while he [Bashirzaib) was suspended; he had formed an organisational alliance called BRAS with Gulzar Imam, an expelled member of Baloch Republican Army (BRA), and the BLF.

He added that they also declared the BLA an ally of BRAS, which we denied through our statements at that time.

Azad in his statement alleged that the BRAS, armed coalition, operate under the supervision of the Iranian Intelligence Agency. He said that BLA explained its position in statements of December 2017, August 2018 and then July 2019.

The BLA spokespersons also said that the four youths who took part in the attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange on Monday, have never been part of the BLA in the past or in the present.

“The participants in the mission were neither BLA members nor were they affiliated with the expelled group that accepted the responsibility of KSE (Karachi Stock Exchange) attack using BLA’s name.”

“Tasleem Baloch alias Muslim, Shehzad Baloch alias Cobra and Siraj Kungur alias Yaagi were members of the BRA’s splinter group who worked under Gulzar Imam. While Salman Hamal alias Notak was first a member of BRA and later he joined BLF,” He said.

He said that despite forming a coalition in the name of BRAS why BLF and Gulzar Imam were not including their name with the activities and attacks of their allied organisation?

Azad Baloch said that the BLA considers Iran an occupying state just like Pakistan.

Azad Baloch also alleged that ‘deliberate attempts’ were being made on behalf of Iran to malign the BLA on the international level because it has never compromised with Iran and always made organisational decisions in the Baloch national interest.

He said that such attacks [suicide bombings] have strengthened the narrative of enemy states instead of the Baloch national movement because the ‘enemy states’ are succeeding in using these attacks to portray the Baloch independence movement a global terrorist movement.

BLA in its statement advised the Baloch youth to make wise decisions at every step so that they are not exploited by such opportunist elements. There are many examples in the world that the enemy has hatched conspiracies by infiltrating their agents in freedom movements.

Azad Baloch added that Pakistan occupied Balochistan in 1948 in violation of international laws and today China and Pakistan, both occupiers, are violating international law in Balochistan.

“Despite gross human rights violations against Baloch nation and disregard of international conventions by China and Pakistan, BLA made every effort to adhere and follow to the international laws of war and our first priority have always been Baloch national interests,” he said.

Mr Baloch ‘reassured’ the Baloch nation that the liberation struggle against the Pakistani state occupation [of Balochistan] will continue till regaining of Baloch sovereignty and the formation of independent Balochistan.