\u2022 Army chief Munir warns \u2018hostile designs\u2019 will be foiled \u2018through firm action\u2019
\u2022 Says Pakistan \u2018committed to regional peace\u2019 but will \u2018defend\u2019 territorial integrity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Army chief and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday warned India over its continued involvement in fomenting unrest in Balochistan, saying that any direct or indirect threat to Pakistan\u2019s territorial integrity would be met with a stern and decisive response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the participants of the 18th National Workshop on Balochistan at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Field Marshal Munir said Indian-sponsored proxies were actively fuelling violence in the province with the clear intent of destabilising the country and sabotaging its economic progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndian-sponsored proxies continue to propagate violence and disrupt development in Balochistan,\u201d the army chief said, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He reaffirmed that such hostile designs would be thwarted through \u201cfirm action\u201d by the security forces to rid the province of terrorism and unrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Balochistan continued to witness sustained violence throughout 2025, with at least 252 terrorist attacks claiming 419 lives, according to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies database, as the insurgency intensified in scale and sophistication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The year saw a series of audacious attacks, most notably the March 11 hijacking of the Jaffar Express passenger train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other major incidents involved coordinated bombings targeting security convoys and passenger buses, suicide attacks, including the use of female bombers, brief militant takeovers of areas such as Mangochar and Zehri, and repeated acts of sabotage against infrastructure associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aggravation in the security situation in Balochistan, besides being a law and order issue rooted in local grievances, is part of a broader pattern of state-sponsored terrorism directed from India for undermining peace and security, as well as targeting strategic projects such as CPEC and weakening Pakistan\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Committed to peace\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The CDF underscored that while Pakistan remains committed to regional peace and stability, restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He emphasised that any violation of Pakistan\u2019s territorial integrity, \u201cwhether direct or indirect\u201d, would draw a firm response \u2014 a phrase widely understood in Islamabad as a reference to India\u2019s alleged use of proxy terrorist groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n India\u2019s intelligence agency, Research Analysis Wing (RAW), has been providing financial, logistical and training support to Baloch insurgent outfits, particularly the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2025, the military re-designated such outfits as \u201cFitna al-Hindustan\u201d, explicitly framing them as instruments of Indian hybrid warfare rather than a legitimate movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Field Marshal Munir said the armed forces remained fully committed to protecting the lives and well-being of citizens, adding that security operations in Balochistan were being conducted alongside efforts to safeguard development projects and civilian populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under a multipronged counterterrorism strategy, including the \u201cAzm-e-Istehkam\u201d framework, security forces have carried out intelligence-based operations across several districts of the province over the past few years, dismantling militant networks, seizing weapons and eliminating insurgents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside military action, the government has pursued diplomatic efforts to expose India\u2019s destabilising role in Balochistan, sharing evidence with the United Nations and friendly countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islamabad views recent international steps, including the designation of the BLA as a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2025, as strengthening its narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The army chief\u2019s remarks also come in the context of heightened regional tensions following the brief India-Pakistan military confrontation in May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n