It began with the assassination of Mufti Shah Mir, a religious scholar close to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence ( ISI), who had helped them trap and nab Indian agent Kulbhusan Jadhav from Iran in 2016 now in Pakistani custody.

The recent wave of violence in Pakistan has intensified following the assassination of Mufti Shah Mir, a religious scholar closely linked to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). On March 6, armed assailants on motorcycles shot Mir as he was leaving a mosque in Turbat, Balochistan. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter. Mir was known for his involvement in various illicit activities, including human trafficking, wrote Subir Bhaumik in ER.

This assassination is part of a broader pattern of violence affecting members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F), as it occurred just days after two JUI-F leaders were killed in Khuzdar. Mir had previously survived two assassination attempts, highlighting the dangerous political landscape in Balochistan.

His connections to the ISI and his role in orchestrating violence against Baloch activists have made him a controversial figure, with some sources suggesting that his death may have been orchestrated by rival factions within the ISI itself.

In another significant incident, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) executed a bold and deadly attack on the Quetta-Peshawar Jaffar Express train, claiming to have killed 214 Pakistani military personnel taken hostage. The Pakistani government, however, asserts that they successfully rescued over 300 hostages during a commando raid. The BLA has threatened further attacks against Islamabad if military repression in Balochistan continues, while Pakistan has accused India of supporting these insurgents.

Following the train attack, Ziaur Rehman alias Abu Qatal Sindhi, a key figure in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), was also assassinated by unidentified gunmen. Qatal was known for orchestrating terror attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir and was closely associated with LET's leadership.

A renewed Indian intelligence presence in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan should add to Pakistan’s worries. Not the least because the Tekreek-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has close links to the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad now blames the Afghan Taliban, which was created and bolstered by Pakistani intelligence, for backing the TTP, which have also attacked at least three police outposts in March in the restive Northwest Frontier Province.

Over the weekend, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for a devastating attack on a Pakistani military convoy in Noshki, Balochistan, asserting that 90 soldiers were eliminated. The assault involved a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that detonated against one of the convoy's eight buses, resulting in its complete destruction. Following the explosion, BLA rebels from the Majeed Brigade and the Fateh Squad reportedly surrounded another bus, systematically targeting the soldiers on board, as detailed in their official statement.

The Pakistani military, however, disputed the BLA's casualty figures, stating that only seven soldiers were killed and 21 others injured in what they classified as a suicide attack. They described the incident as involving an IED-laden vehicle and subsequent rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire aimed at the convoy. The Chief Minister of Balochistan expressed his condolences over the loss of life among the military personnel and condemned the attack.

This incident marks a significant escalation in violence within Balochistan, a region long plagued by separatist tensions. The BLA has been actively engaged in an insurgency against the Pakistani state, seeking independence for Balochistan. The attack follows a series of violent events attributed to the group, including a recent train hijacking that resulted in multiple casualties.

The escalation of violence coincides with rising tensions between India and Pakistan as well, particularly regarding allegations of Indian secret agents (RAW) involvement with Baloch rebel groups and threats made by Indian officials against Pakistan's territorial integrity. This situation is exacerbated by India's ongoing concerns about terrorism emanating from Pakistan and its efforts to counteract these threats through covert operations.

These developments reflect a complex interplay of internal power struggles within Pakistan's security apparatus and external pressures from neighbouring India, further destabilizing an already volatile region.

Eurasia Review