Motorcycle bomb kills three people and injures 16 in Pakistan
IndependentAUG 2024
Pakistan: Dozens Killed in Militant Attacks in Baluchistan
Above: Pakistan police troops in Lahore on February 08, 2024. Image copyright: Elke Scholiers/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The BLA only targeted military personnel traveling in civilian clothes in Musakhail and killed only soldiers elsewhere. The group is fighting for the rights of the Baloch people and wants to end the province's exploitation. Its fight will continue against the Pakistani government and military until the decades-old injustice, including enforced disappearances, is avenged and a Greater Baluchistan is established.
Narrative B
The BLA is a terror outfit that chose to mark Baloch separatist leader Akbar Bugti's death anniversary with an unprecedented vicious, cowardly act on innocent citizens. It's clear that the group wants to create instability and anarchy in Pakistan in sharp contrast to its said claim to uplift the Baloch people. However, the militants must find a different way to express their dissent or face elimination.
Narrative C
Pakistan is the leading perpetrator of terrorism as well as its primary victim. It created, fostered, and armed terror outfits to destabilize its neighbors, including India. However, in supporting terrorism, it faced unintended consequences and now bears the brunt of terrorism. Until Pakistan fundamentally alters its behavior and stops harboring terrorists, hundreds of innocent lives will continue to be lost.