In the rugged terrain of Balochistan, a long-standing narrative of missing persons and state oppression has been skillfully weaponized by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC). Presenting itself as a grassroots movement for human rights, the BYC has mastered the art of emotional persuasion using images of anguished mothers, solemn children, and determined activists to capture national and international attention. But behind this carefully constructed façade lies a far more sinister reality: the BYC is not an independent rights group. Instead, it serves as a strategic front for the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of the most violent separatist groups in Pakistan.
The BYC’s public strategy is both effective and deceptive. By organizing protests, sit-ins, and social media campaigns, it has successfully shaped a narrative that portrays security operations as acts of state brutality and detained militants as innocent victims. This deliberate conflation of genuine disappearances with militant activity has allowed the group to operate with a veneer of legitimacy while advancing a militant agenda.
“Leading this movement are Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, who have become its main leaders and voices” In their speeches, which are widely shared in the media, they only talk about the actions of the state and do not mention the violence done by the BLA.”. This one-sided approach is not by mistake it is a clear strategy to influence Baloch youth and make armed rebellion seem normal.
Perhaps the most blatant demonstration of BYC-BLA collaboration came earlier this year following a counter-terrorism operation related to the Jaffer Express kidnapping. After security forces killed several BLA militants during a rescue operation, BYC leaders promptly arrived at a Quetta hospital morgue to claim the bodies. They did not denounce the kidnapping or the threat posed by the militants. Instead, they framed the dead insurgents as victims of state violence. This incident removed any lingering doubt about the symbiotic relationship between the two organizations.
A particularly revealing case is that of Suhaib Baloch, also known as Amir Baksh. “In July 2024, the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) said that Suhaib Baloch, a cousin of its leader Mahrang Baloch, had been taken away by the authorities and was missing.”. His name was added to the so-called “missing persons list,” in an effort to portray the Pakistani government as suppressing innocent Baloch youth.
However, this narrative quickly unraveled. On July 25, 2025, the BLA’s official media outlet, HAKKAL, published a public tribute confirming Suhaib’s death in combat in Kalat on July 22. More importantly, it explicitly identified him as a fighter of the Majeed Brigade the BLA’s suicide attack unit.
Significantly, the timing of Suhaib’s alleged “disappearance” coincided precisely with his induction into the militant brigade. This case exposes the BYC’s deceptive tactics: those it presents as innocent victims are often militants who have voluntarily joined armed insurgency. By masking terrorism as human rights advocacy, the BYC manipulates public sentiment, misleads international opinion, and fuels recruitment for extremist organizations.
Such deception must be confronted and exposed to ensure the world is not taken in by these false narratives.
This cynical manipulation inflicts profound harm on Baloch society. While the BYC and BLA escalate violence through targeted attacks on security personnel, infrastructure, and non-local laborers, ordinary Baloch citizens bear the brunt of the resulting instability. Development projects stall, schools close, and economic opportunities vanish. Families who initially turned to the BYC for help often find their sons recruited into a deadly conflict, their grief endlessly recycled as propaganda.
The people of Balochistan deserve advocacy that is transparent, peaceful, and free from militant influence. Only when the double game of groups like the BYC is exposed and rejected can the region begin to heal and move toward a future defined not by conflict, but by opportunity and peace.
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