A deadly Pakistani air campaign against Afghanistan has provoked sharp rebuke from the Baloch National Movement (BNM), which sees it as a grave threat to sovereignty. Strikes hammered residential neighborhoods and a religious school in Nangarhar and Paktika, resulting in heavy civilian casualties, including many children and women.
The operation unfolds against a backdrop of simmering border hostilities, where a 2025 ceasefire brokered after fierce clashes quickly unraveled. Afghanistan’s military responded with outrage, setting the stage for BNM’s solidarity statement.
In a powerful show of support, BNM mourned with stricken Afghan kin and reiterated backing for their freedom struggle. The group traces regional turmoil to Pakistan’s long-standing policies, rooted in territorial ambitions over nearly eight decades.
Balochistan, they say, endures illegal occupation by a domineering Punjabi elite, sparking resistance from subjugated peoples yearning for nationhood. Pakistan’s house is in disarray—politically splintered, socially fractured, and militarily repressive—yet it lashes out externally to mask shortcomings.
By scapegoating adjacent states, Pakistan sows discord and danger. BNM cautions that its military ambitions endanger not just locals but the wider world, advocating alliance between Afghan and Baloch forces for mutual protection.
As recriminations mount, the fragile peace hangs by a thread, with implications rippling across South Asia.