India dismisses Pakistan’s Balochistan allegations as violence claims dozens of lives

India has strongly rejected allegations by Pakistan that New Delhi supported armed groups behind a wave of deadly attacks in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, describing the claims as “baseless” and a bid to deflect attention from Islamabad’s internal challenges.

In a statement posted on X, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan’s accusations followed a familiar pattern of shifting blame outward rather than addressing domestic problems.

The response came after Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, suggested that India had backed militants responsible for the latest escalation of violence in the province.

India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, urged Pakistan to focus on addressing long-standing grievances within Balochistan instead of making what he called “frivolous claims” after every violent incident.

“Instead of parroting such allegations, Pakistan would do better to address the legitimate demands of its people,” Jaiswal said, adding that Pakistan’s record of suppression, brutality and human rights violations was widely documented.

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Balochistan has witnessed one of its deadliest flare-ups in recent years, following coordinated insurgent attacks across several districts that left dozens dead, including security personnel and civilians.

Pakistani officials said the attackers, some allegedly disguised as civilians, targeted public spaces and security facilities across Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Noshki. Pakistan’s junior interior minister, Talal Chaudhry, claimed militants used civilians as human shields during the assaults.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that at least 17 security personnel and 31 civilians were killed. The Pakistani military said its counter-operations resulted in the deaths of 92 separatists on Saturday and 41 the previous day.

The attacks reportedly occurred almost simultaneously and included attempts at suicide bombings, assaults on security installations such as a Frontier Corps headquarters, and temporary blockades of major roads.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said two of the attacks involved female perpetrators and warned that militant groups were increasingly targeting vulnerable communities, including labourers and low-income residents.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a banned separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attacks, describing the operation as “Herof,” meaning “black storm.”

The group said the operation was a coordinated strike against security forces across the province, claiming significantly higher casualty figures than those acknowledged by Pakistani authorities.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has been plagued by a separatist insurgency for decades.

The conflict is rooted in demands for greater political autonomy and a fairer share of the province’s abundant natural resources. Violence has intensified in recent years, with militants stepping up attacks on security forces, infrastructure and civilians.

India has consistently denied any involvement in the unrest, insisting that Pakistan must confront the underlying political, economic and human rights issues driving the conflict rather than externalising blame.