Artwork 'BLA', by Author
What is the BLA, and why did I create this artwork? What actually happened during the terror activities in Quetta? Did I once again lose someone close to me at the hands of terrorism in Pakistan? What are my thoughts on this entire situation?
Let’s try to understand these things piece by piece; then, we’ll talk about the artwork itself.
Perhaps I can’t explain the BLA in the most comprehensive way myself, so let’s look at an AI-generated summary for context:
Start of AI summary
What happened
On 31 January–1 February 2026, a very large wave of coordinated attacks hit multiple districts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Noshki, and others.
Wikipedia: 2026 Balochistan attacks
The banned separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for these assaults.
TheDailyStar: Pakistan forces kill 145 militants in 40hrs
Militants used gun battles, suicide bombings, and assaults on police stations, banks, prisons, and security posts across the province.
IslamTimes: Attacks on several locations in Balochistan, DC Noshki Kidnapping, Video Report
The attacks included civilians being killed and infrastructure being hit, creating panic in cities like Quetta.
AlJazeera: At least 33 dead in coordinated attacks by alleged separatists in Pakistan
Casualties and fighting
Pakistani officials report at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel killed during the initial wave of attacks.
TheDailyStar: Pakistan forces kill 145 militants in 40hrs
Security forces have claimed to kill around 145 militants during counter-operations over about 40 hours.
PakistanToday: ‘Won’t surrender even for a second,’ Bugti vows relentless fight as 145 terrorists killed in Balochistan
This marks one of the deadliest insurgent offensives in the region in years.
TheGuardian: More than 120 dead after multiple suicide and gun attacks in Pakistan, officials say
What the government says
Authorities describe the attacks as a “coordinated offensive” by the BLA.
TheDailyStar: Pakistan forces kill 145 militants in 40hrs
Pakistan’s government accuses foreign support (India and militants from Afghan territory) for the attackers — a claim that India and Afghanistan both deny.
abcNews: Pakistan says it has killed 145 'Indian-backed terrorists' after deadly attacks
Officials say militants even tried to storm strategic areas and take hostages but were repelled.
PakistanToday: ‘Won’t surrender even for a second,’ Bugti vows relentless fight as 145 terrorists killed in Balochistan
Context — why BLA is involved
The BLA is a banned separatist group in Pakistan that seeks greater autonomy or independence for Balochistan.
Wikipedia: 2026 Balochistan attacks
Its insurgency has involved attacks on state forces, infrastructure, and sometimes civilians in past years (e.g., train hijackings, bombings).
Wikipedia: 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking
End of AI summary
My Thoughts
Recently, a video gained a lot of traction on r/Pakistan showing BLA militants firing rocket launchers at a Faysal Bank branch. They were roaming around in an open field as if it were a scene straight out of GTA. It was shocking to see people moving so freely in broad daylight in this day and age.
Personally, I am a pro-military supporter, as are most Pakistanis, perhaps ... but the narratives in the comments section really disturbed me. Some people were discussing the idea that the military was intentionally delaying its response just to make people realize their importance, so that the public wouldn't question the military budget. While I don’t share that perspective, reading those comments left me feeling deeply unsettled.
I saw another video where the bodies of four civilians... just ordinary pedestrians, were lying on the road, while BLA militants roamed the streets in broad daylight as if they were completely untouchable, with no one there to hold them accountable.
I was thinking about something else while creating this artwork. I remembered a lecture on terrorism back in my 10th grade. When the teacher asked for our feedback, I argued that perhaps it’s our own fault because we don’t go into those remote areas to provide education. But now, my perspective is being challenged by another reality. I recall an incident where a militant had a complete mental breakdown after seeing his comrade’s dead body. The reason for his breakdown was what his mentors had instilled in him. They told him that because they were doing such noble work, their bodies wouldn't decompose like an ordinary human’s. Instead, flowers would bloom from their bodies instantly, as if they were in a garden. When people are brainwashed to such an extreme level, how can you even begin to educate them like a normal student? These contradictory thoughts are now challenging my long held belief that terrorism can be ended through education alone.
Another mind puzzling realization is that individuals who were educated for free on government scholarships and university graduates were also involved in these BLA attacks. This further shattered my belief that education is the ultimate cure for terrorism. Furthermore, in a society like Pakistan where women are often restricted from many fields, seeing university educated women as militants firing guns is a massive cultural shock.
Another thought that kept haunting me while I was working on this piece was the loss of a very close friend. On December 19, 2024, he lost his life in a military camp attack in Boya, North Waziristan, carried out by the TTP, specifically the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction. I remember getting a call from a mutual friend who simply said, "He is no more. This is all that life is." They say men don’t cry, and in Pakistan, the concept of men showing such vulnerability is quite rare, but in that moment, both of us broke down on the call, our hearts heavy with the news of our friend’s passing. His Chehlum (the 40th day since his passing) just took place recently. All of this serves as a constant, painful reminder for me: Is life really this fleeting? Is this all there is to it?
Then I heard a TV interview with two women, a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. They were recounting how the BLA militants forced their way into their home. They said they picked up the Quran, our Holy Book, and pleaded for mercy in the name of Allah. They begged and entreated them, yet those men shot their months-old baby. They were told that if they cried, they would be killed too. Are these BLA members even human? Are they even Muslims? To ignore pleas made in the name of Allah and the sanctity of the Quran is not Islam. Islam forbids attacking even an unarmed person. But then again, here I am, expecting humanity and religious values from militants.
The BLA identify themselves as Baloch, yet their actions tell a different story. Generally, they target non-Baloch individuals after checking their National Identity Cards (NIC), claiming to be the protectors of Baloch rights. But what is this? In Gwadar, they checked IDs and still killed a Baloch family. Have they now started killing the very people they claim as their own? At the very least, they shouldn't inflict such cruelty on the people whose rights they claim to be fighting for.
Artwork Process:
Process of Artwork 'BLA', by Author