Professor Arrested in Balochistan for Facilitating BLA Activities
A senior professor from the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) has been arrested in Quetta on allegations of facilitating activities of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). According to security officials, the accused, Dr. Usman Qazi, was detained after intelligence agencies traced his connections with the outlawed group. His video confession has also surfaced online, where he admitted to supporting BLA militants in multiple operations.
In his statement, Dr. Usman revealed that both he and his wife were government employees. He completed his PhD from Peshawar University and was serving as a Grade-18 lecturer at BUITEMS when his involvement with the BLA began. He said that during an academic visit to Quaid-e-Azam University, he met three individuals linked to the group. Two of them were later killed, but his association deepened after he was approached by Dr. Hebtan alias Kalak, who inducted him into the BLA. He added that he was later introduced to commander Bashir Zeb, with whom he maintained contact through Telegram. Within the organization, he was given the alias “Amir” and assigned multiple tasks.
Dr. Usman admitted that the first task he carried out was providing medical aid to Regional Commander Sher Dil. In November, he sheltered two terrorists at his residence, one of whom later carried out the suicide attack at Quetta Railway Station. He further confessed to supplying a pistol to a woman for use in target killing operations. In addition, he hosted a militant named Nauman alias Firq at his house for eight days before handing him over to another commander. According to him, Firq had been tasked with executing a suicide attack during the Independence Day celebrations on August 14.
Security agencies have termed the arrest a major breakthrough in their campaign against extremist networks operating in Balochistan, noting the alarming risk of militant infiltration into academic institutions. Authorities confirmed that further investigations are underway to trace other individuals possibly linked with the professor’s activities. It also follows a series of counter-terrorism efforts where 50 terrorists were killed in a four-day Balochistan operation, as confirmed by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has been designated a terrorist organization by both Pakistan and the United States, with its Majeed Brigade particularly notorious for suicide attacks against civilians and security forces. Officials say the latest arrest reflects ongoing efforts to dismantle militant networks and prevent future attacks in the province.
