Pakistan’s army says it has arrested Baloch insurgency chief
Gulzar Imam was apprehended in ‘a high profile and successful intelligence operation’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan top intelligence agency arrested a high-value target in an operation against a Baloch insurgent group in the country’s southwest, the army said Friday.
The military statement said Gulzar Imam, also known by the name Shambay, is the militant founder and leader of the banned Baloch Nationalist Army. An umbrella group for insurgents, the BNA was formed after two main insurgent groups merged: The Baluch Republican Army and United Baluch Army.
The army said BNA had been involved in dozens of terrorist attacks in the country, including those on security forces.
The military’s media wing said that Shambay’s visits abroad were on record and his suspected links with hostile intelligence agencies are being investigated.
The military said the arrest was made possible after a monthslong intelligence effort, but did not provide further details.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations statement, Imam was apprehended in “a high profile and successful intelligence operation”.
It stated that 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.”
The ISPR statement added that the apprehended militant was pivotal in creating the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) and served as its operational chief.
It further said the hostile agencies also tried to exploit the militant to work against the state of Pakistan and its national interests, Dawn reported.
“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 statement added.
The gas-rich southwestern Balochistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran has been a scene of low-level insurgency by Baloch nationalists for more than two decades. Baloch nationalists initially wanted a share from the provincial resources, but later they initiated an insurgency for independence.