New Delhi: The Balochistan Liberation Army has released a new video clip, showing seven men it says are Pakistani soldiers pleading to be rescued by the government. The video contests Islamabad’s lack of acknowledgement of any missing or abducted soldiers in Balochistan.
In the video, the purported captured soldiers can be seen on their knees in mountainous surroundings, with armed individuals standing behind them. The footage comes just days ahead of BLA’s seven-day ultimatum for a prisoner exchange ends, after which the outfit has warned of executing the captives if its demands are not met. The BLA has reiterated its demand for the release of detained Baloch fighters in exchange for the captive soldiers.
In a subsequent video, the seven men appear together, each displaying what they call official Army service cards.
One of them, identifying himself as Sepoy Mohammad Shahram, can be seen holding up his military identification, alongside his national identity card issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
“If these are not genuine, then who issued them?” the man asks, adding that he is the eldest son in his family, and his disabled father is dependent on him. “If we do not belong to the army, why were we recruited?” he further says.
A source in the defence and security establishment said that this has been Islamabad’s “long-standing strategy—first contest the narrative, then manage public perception, and defer institutional accountability”. The source added that this episode has revived memories of the Kargil conflict. Back then, the Pakistan military leadership under Pervez Musharraf had initially denied the presence of its regular troops across the Line of Control (LoC).
The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan—Pakistan’s largest province bordering Afghanistan and Iran—alleging that Islamabad exploits the region’s gas and mineral wealth without equitable development. Islamabad has consistently rejected these claims, and designates the BLA as a terrorist organisation.