QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has announced that its former commander-in-chief, Bashir Zeb Baloch, will no longer serve as the head of the organisation, according to a statement issued to the media by its spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch.
The spokesperson said the decision was taken under the group’s constitution following a ruling by its Senior Command Council. Until a new commander-in-chief is elected, all administrative, military and policy-making powers have been formally handed to the council, which the group describes as its highest body. He said military operations would continue on all fronts without interruption.
Jeeyand Baloch said Aslam Baloch, whom the group calls its ideological and structural founder, ended hereditary politics and lifelong leadership when he restructured the organisation in 2018, basing it on merit, transparency and institutional principles. According to the spokesperson, Aslam Baloch laid down the principle that no commander, however influential or senior, can remain commander-in-chief for life. To maintain that continuity, the statement said, a clear and unanimous procedure was written into the group’s constitution so that a peaceful constitutional route would exist for a smooth transfer of leadership.
The statement said that, in line with this principle, a joint meeting of the group’s top bodies was held on October 16, where constitutional and organisational matters were reviewed in detail. All commanders reportedly voted unanimously in favour of a leadership transition, “to give the organisation’s activities a new momentum.”
Jeeyand Baloch described the development as the first and a historic occasion in the history of the Baloch resistance movement in which an armed group had replaced its top leader democratically, peacefully and constitutionally, without internal fragmentation, splits or clashes. He said that in the past, resistance groups had no democratic or constitutional mechanism for changing leadership, which left them prone to internal turmoil and fragmentation. He called it a matter of pride for the BLA and the Baloch people and said the group’s top central command and operational fronts stood united behind the decision.
He added that movements achieve lasting success only when they work through self-sustaining constitutional institutions rather than depending on individuals. According to him, the step shows that a strong internal system now exists, which will keep the BLA’s membership organised, responsible and united. He said it would strengthen the Baloch people’s trust in what he called their national army and ensure the group enters a new era guided by responsibility, strict discipline and what he termed revolutionary ethics.
The statement claimed the transition took place without affecting the group’s overall military performance, combat strategy, defence policies, field operations or chain of command. It said operations continue on all fronts without interruption and that the group’s pressure on Pakistani forces, which it calls “occupying forces,” remains in place, with all plans proceeding according to its targets.
According to the organisation, the move has the full and unconditional endorsement of all its operational fronts, regional and camp commanders, and specialised units. The name of the new commander-in-chief will be announced soon, at the end of the next stages of the process, the statement said. No date or candidate was given.
Concluding his statement, Jeeyand Baloch said the BLA was a guarantor of what he called the sacred aspirations of “martyrs,” its ideological principles and Baloch national independence. He said the group’s war would continue with full strength, organisation and resolve until Pakistani forces withdraw completely and an independent and sovereign Balochistan is established.
