New Delhi: India on Sunday categorically rejected Pakistan’s allegations of involvement in the recent deadly militant attacks in Balochistan, labelling them as “baseless” and a routine tactic by Islamabad to divert attention from its own internal failures and violation of human rights record in the province.
In an official statement issued in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said “We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings.”
Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known, The statement added.
The MEA response came after Pakistani officials,including Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the military, directly blamed India for backing the militants behind the coordinated assaults.
Pakistan Accuses India and Afghanistan of Backing Militants
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti claimed that the Indian-backed terrorists had attempted to take hostages in city centres but failed. He also accused Afghanistan of providing support, alleging that senior BLA leaders were operating from Afghan soil.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, addressing a press conference on Saturday said “The most important thing that is necessary for the world to know now is that these terrorists are not normal terrorists. India is behind those attacks.” The Pakistani military similarly described the assailants as “Indian-sponsored militants.”
India has consistently denied any role in the Balochistan insurgency and maintains that such accusations are part of Pakistan’s pattern of shifting blame for domestic unrest.
Deadly Coordinated Attacks Strike Multiple Sites in Balochistan
The violence erupted early Saturday across multiple locations in southwestern Balochistan, including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Noshki. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the strikes, which targeted security posts, police stations and other installations.
According to Pakistani authorities, at least 31 civilians including five women and 17 security personnel were killed in the initial attacks. In the ensuing counter-operations over the next 40 hours, security forces reported killing 145 militants. Earlier Pakistan’s military said 92 fighters were killed on Saturday, while 41 were killed on Friday.
Bugti said in a post on X “ The security forces had sent more than 700 terrorists to hell” in Balochistan over the past 12 months. The terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan(a term Pakistani officials use for the BLA) desperately attempted to carry out attacks in various areas of Balochistan. Joint operations by the Balochistan Police and Frontier Corps were continuing “until the last terrorist is eliminated.”
Background: Roots and Evolution of the Balochistan Insurgency
The insurgency in Balochistan began in 1948, soon after Pakistan annexed the princely state of Kalat following independence. This move triggered the first armed resistance in the region. Since then, Balochistan has seen four major waves of insurgency in 1948-50, 1958-60, 1963-69 and 1973-77. These uprisings were largely driven by local anger over forced integration into Pakistan, strong control from the centre, and the feeling that the province’s rich natural resources such as gas and minerals were being exploited without benefiting the local population.
The current phase, often called the fifth insurgency, began around 2003-04 and is the longest-running. It involves groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demand greater autonomy or independence, citing economic marginalisation, political neglect, enforced disappearances, and human rights abuses by Pakistani forces. The province remains Pakistan’s largest by area but poorest and least developed, fuelling separatist sentiment. The recent violence has targeted security installations and CPEC-related projects. Islamabad has alleged external support, including from India, claims that New Delhi has firmly denied. The incident has once again intensified verbal exchanges between the two neighbours amid ongoing regional tensions.
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