Who is Bashir Zeb, the head of the banned organization BLA?

Before the attacks carried out on several cities including Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, the banned separatist organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had released a video. In this picture , armed men can be seen riding three motorcycles at an unidentified deserted location. Only one of the six individuals’ face is visible. According to the banned organization, this person was the head of the BLA, Bashir Zeb, and it was also claimed that Bashir Zeb personally took part in these attacks.
The BLA did not clarify where the video was recorded; however, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti claimed that the video was filmed in Afghanistan. It should be noted that last Saturday armed militants targeted various installations in Quetta, Mastung, Kalat, Nushki, Kharan, Dalbandin, Turbat, Tump, Gwadar, Pasni and several other areas. According to the provincial chief minister, a total of 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed in these attacks, while the government claimed that 145 militants were also killed.
The banned BLA has been active in Balochistan for more than a decade, but in recent years the scope and intensity of attacks by the organization and its subsidiary group Majeed Brigade have increased. The BLA has been declared a banned organization by both Pakistan and the United States.
It is worth recalling that since the attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi in November 2018, Bashir Zeb has been wanted by the Government of Pakistan in numerous cases involving attacks carried out by the BLA. These include the planning of the 2020 attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange, the planning of the female suicide bombing targeting Chinese teachers at Karachi University, and the attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers near Karachi Airport. In the airport attack case, a court has already declared him an absconder.
However, there was a time when Bashir Zeb was active in student politics on the streets of Quetta. We spoke to journalists and former and current security officials, and also reviewed Bashir Zeb’s own writings and interviews given as chairman of BSO Azad, in order to understand who Bashir Zeb is and how he became part of this organization.

Who is Bashir Zeb?

According to journalist Kiyya Baloch, Bashir Zeb belongs to a middle-class family from Ahmadwal in the Nushki area of Balochistan. He says that Bashir Zeb, who belongs to the Muhammad Hasni tribe, is the son of a man who worked in the health department. Bashir Zeb received his early education in Nushki and completed his higher secondary education at Quetta Degree College, Sariab Road.
Kiyya Baloch further states that Bashir Zeb obtained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic College Quetta and later enrolled for a Master’s degree in Balochi Literature at the University of Balochistan. However, during his student life he was banned from entering the university. One of the several reasons for this ban is said to be clashes between different student organizations, particularly between BSO Azad and certain Pashtun nationalist student groups.
Bashir Zeb’s political activities began at Polytechnic College Quetta, where he was elected chairman of Baloch Students Organization (BSO Azad) from 2006 to 2012. Although BSO has several factions, BSO Azad was founded in 2002 by Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, who is now the head of the banned militant organization Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and is wanted by the Pakistani government for multiple attacks on security forces and anti-state activities.
The Pakistani government alleges that BSO Azad serves as a recruitment platform for militant groups such as the BLA and BLF and encourages youth toward militancy. In March 2013, the government banned BSO Azad.
Although BSO Azad was not banned during Bashir Zeb’s tenure, journalist Kiyya Baloch says that during this period Bashir Zeb was seen distributing anti-Pakistan literature among youth in Quetta and often strongly criticized Pakistan’s policies regarding Balochistan in rallies and protests.
A review of Bashir Zeb’s writings shows that he criticized not only the Pakistani state but also Baloch nationalist political parties. In one article, he wrote that as a member of BSO Azad he tried his best to ensure that parties like BNP-Mengal had no influence over the organization.
According to Kiyya Baloch, security agencies conducted several raids at the university to arrest Bashir Zeb, but they were unsuccessful.

When did Bashir Zeb choose militancy?

Hamal Haider Baloch, a companion of Bashir Zeb during student politics, says that Zeb never directly told him about taking up arms against the state. However, in his 2014 article titled “A Short Journey on the Path of Freedom: Some Contradictions Before Me,” Bashir Zeb wrote that he wanted to fight through armed struggle after being inspired by Dr. Allah Nazar and his ideology.
According to this article, when he did not receive a positive response to his wish to join the BLF, he instead joined the BLA. The same writing indicates that even while serving as chairman of BSO Azad, Bashir Zeb was involved in the administrative affairs of the BLA. It is worth noting that according to the manifesto of BSO Azad, anyone who takes up arms cannot remain a member of the organization.

Joining BLA and factionalism

In 2018, Bashir Zeb completely left student politics and formally joined the BLA. The BLA first emerged in the early 1970s and was declared a banned organization by Pakistan in 2006. Authorities long considered Balach Marri as its leader. After his death in 2007, leadership was attributed to his brother Hyrbyair Marri, though he denied heading any armed group.
After Balach Marri’s death, Aslam Baloch (Ustad Aslam) emerged as a key commander. According to a CTD official, Bashir Zeb was a close associate of Aslam Baloch, but both were expelled from the organization in 2017 for violating organizational rules. They later formed a new faction, also named BLA. After Aslam Baloch was killed in Afghanistan in 2018, Bashir Zeb assumed leadership.
Former DIG Balochistan Abdul Razzaq believes that Zeb’s educational background may have attracted more educated youth to the group.

Intensification of attacks under Bashir Zeb

After Bashir Zeb took command, attacks against the state intensified and organizational methods changed. Analysts say he masterminded alliances among militant groups. In 2018, the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS) alliance was formed, uniting BLA, BLF, BRG and Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army.
The BLA claims to have several wings including the Majeed Brigade for suicide attacks, target killing squads, intelligence and media wings, though CTD officials consider this largely propaganda.

“Bashir Zeb turned the Baloch movement into terrorism”
Many analysts believe Bashir Zeb has damaged the Baloch cause. The use of women in suicide attacks and targeting of embassies and civilians has, in their view, transformed a political movement into terrorism.
Researcher Malik Siraj Akbar says the BLA could have set moral limits but continues using female bombers only for media attention. Counter-terrorism expert Dr. Khurram Iqbal states that increasing brutality has reduced support for the movement outside Balochistan and strengthened opinion in favor of military operations, ultimately benefiting security institutions.