Talat Aziz, a former member of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), publicly surrendered and spoke out against the group in a news conference held in Quetta on Friday.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the conference was attended by the Provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Balochistan government spokesperson, and the DIG Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
In his remarks, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran noted that terrorists in Balochistan were also involved in extortion activities. He emphasised that any individual acting against the state is a terrorist and questioned, "What kind of freedom involves targeting children?"
Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran asserted that such individuals cannot be called “Baloch” and affirmed, “The state knows how to defend its borders. We are Pakistanis, and Pakistan is our identity.”
During the conference, Talat Aziz revealed how the BLA manipulates young minds, using the pretext of missing persons and freedom movements to lure recruits. Aziz, an alumnus of Punjab University, disclosed that the Baloch Council at the university has been involved in misleading students, including encouraging support for separatist actions in Balochistan.
Talat Aziz urged young people to avoid those who would damage their futures by promoting such ideologies.
The DIG CTD mentioned that they have shared information with the provincial government regarding certain activities at Punjab University, and investigations into students' involvement are underway.