QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has released a video message featuring its female commander Shahnaz Baloch, marking the first time a Baloch female fighter has appeared publicly in the group’s media output.
The approximately 11-minute and 41-second video was released on May 22, 2026, by the BLA’s media wing Hakkal and circulated widely across social media platforms including Telegram and X, formerly Twitter, where accounts monitoring Balochistan and insurgent activities shared the footage.
The video follows the format of previous Hakkal releases, featuring direct-to-camera address, training and field activity footage of armed fighters, and aerial shots of Balochistan’s mountainous and desert terrain. It shows armed fighters traveling in Toyota pickup vehicles, weapons training exercises, convoy movements, symbolic flag imagery and scenes showing women alongside male fighters.
Shahnaz Baloch appears in the video wearing military camouflage alongside traditional Balochi embroidered clothing. She introduces herself as a commander, stating that she joined the organization as an ordinary member approximately seven years ago.
In her message, Shahnaz Baloch invoked historical Baloch figures to argue for gender equality within the movement, citing Banadi Baloch, sister of Mir Chakar Khan Rind, as an example of a woman who commanded Baloch fighters five hundred years ago. She argued that British colonial rule and subsequently the Pakistani state introduced divisions between Baloch men and women, fragmenting their land, language, culture and geography.
She appealed to Baloch youth and women to join the movement, stating that today Baloch men and women are living as equals within the BLA’s revolutionary framework.
Analysts say the release reflects the BLA’s continued effort to highlight female participation within its ranks, potentially aimed at broadening recruitment, projecting organizational unity, and challenging the perception that the armed struggle is male-led. The video comes as the BLA continues to carry out attacks against Pakistani forces, infrastructure and state projects.
This is not the first time the BLA has drawn attention through female operatives. In 2022, Shaari Baloch carried out a suicide attack in Karachi, after which the group issued several statements highlighting women’s participation in its operations.
The appearance of Shahnaz Baloch as a public female commander represents a significant development in the BLA’s media strategy, analysts say.
