The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group operating in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, is employing brutal tactics to recruit women, according to a new investigative report by More to Her Story. The report details how the BLA uses rape, blackmail, and psychological manipulation to coerce women into joining their ranks, often forcing them into suicide bombings.
The report features the harrowing accounts of several women, including Adeela Baloch, who was blackmailed and manipulated into participating in a failed suicide bombing attempt. Her father, Khuda Bakhsh, expressed relief at her rescue, highlighting the challenges faced by families impacted by the BLA’s recruitment practices.
The story also quoted Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who said that the BLA’s strategy is not one of resistance, but of exploitation and terrorism. The group leverages Balochistan’s socio-economic challenges, exploiting the vulnerability of women within a conservative society where family honour is considered of highest importance.
The BLA uses threats of dishonour and the leaking of personal information to control and manipulate its recruits. There is also evidence of sexual violence and blackmail being used to coerce women into participating in acts of terrorism.
A new element is BLA’s use of online platforms to spread propaganda and recruit women, portraying female suicide bombers as martyrs. This tactic is exemplified by the case of Shari Baloch, the group’s first female suicide bomber in 2022.
While the Pakistani government has intensified military operations against the BLA following a series of attacks in 2024, including a suicide bombing near Karachi’s Jinnah Airport, officials acknowledge the need for a multifaceted approach. This includes rehabilitation programs, legal aid, and job training to support women escaping the BLA’s control, as well as addressing the underlying socio-economic issues that fuel the insurgency.
The report emphasizes the long-standing grievances over economic and political marginalization in Balochistan, with projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) exacerbating resentment among parts of the local population. Experts advocate for expanding social welfare programs and investing in education and community empowerment to counter the BLA’s influence and create alternatives for vulnerable women.
The families of victims, like Abdul Hameed, whose daughter Mahal Baloch was recruited by the BLA, plead for greater attention to education and empowerment to prevent further exploitation.
The situation calls for a comprehensive strategy that that brings education and economic progress to the region so that young women in the province are made less vulnerable to the risk of being exploited by terrorist groups using blackmail as their main weapon.
More to Her Story is a news agency and investigative platform founded by journalist Sarah Little. It aims to highlight the stories of women from marginalised spaces across the world.
