Balochistan: Top Baloch militant arrested, claims Pakistan Army

Islamabad: In a significant development, the Pakistan Army claimed on Friday that it has arrested the founder of the Baloch National Army (BNA) in the restive Balochistan province following a successful intelligence operation. The arrested insurgent has been identified as Gulzar Imam alias Shambay. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the Pakistan military – the Baloch National Army (BNA) founder was nabbed in Balochistan after a carefully planned operation. “Gulzar Imam alias Shambay was apprehended after an innovatively conceived, carefully planned and meticulously executed operation, spanned over months over various geographical locations,” the ISPR statement said. The ISPR statement, however, did not mention the exact location where Gulzar Imam was arrested. The Pakistan Army claimed that Gulzar Imam was a “hardcore militant” based in Balochistan, as well as the founder and leader of the banned Baloch National Army (BNA), which was formed after the merger of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the United Baloch Army (UBA). “The arrest of Gulzar Imam is a serious blow to the BNA as well as other militant groups, which have been attempting to destabilise the hard-earned peace in Balochistan,” the ISPR statement added. The ISPR described the detainee as a “high-value target” with suspected links to “hostile” intelligence agencies operating against Pakistan. The report of the arrest surfaced on a day when Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was taking place. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country. Since the talks with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) broke down in November, the dreaded militant group intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the TTP. According to the ISPR statement, the BNA had perpetrated numerous violent terrorist attacks in the country, including targeting the installations of law enforcement agencies in Panjgur and Noshki. “Imam also remained as deputy to Brahamdagh Bugti in the BRA till 2018.” “His visits to Afghanistan and India are also on the record, while his linkages with hostile intelligence agencies are being investigated,” it claimed. Resource-rich Balochistan province, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several daring attacks targeting the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. (With agency inputs) Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.