Pakistan Army downplays casualties in Balochistan fiasco to safeguard Asim Munir

Pakistan’s military claimed on Thursday that it has “successfully concluded a major counter-terrorism campaign in Balochistan”, saying 216 terrorists were killed during the operation.

But downplayed number of Pak Army men killed in the BLA attack over the past weekend. According to estimates nearly 100 Pakistan security personnel were killed in the BLA attack.

The Pakistan Army is downplaying the attack due to embarrassment it caused to Field Marshal Asim Munir and acknowledgement of Pakistan Army losses can jolt his position.


Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif admitted this week that BLA was better equipped than the Army. Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif asserted that the armed forces were "physically handicapped" against the Baloch rebels, whom he said were "better equipped".

The Shehbaz Sharif government is struggling to hold ground against BLA and this will create headache for both China and the USA. While China has made big commitment in the form of China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Gwadar Port, USA plans to mine critical minerals in Balochistan.

Balochistan holds vast reserves of natural gas and rare minerals. South Asia expert Michael Kugelman wrote on X, "Today's attacks in Balochistan should serve as a wake-up call to those, including in the White House, keen to invest in Pakistan's critical mineral reserves. One of the BLA's core grievances is external exploitation of local resources."

On December 10 last year, the US announced an investment for mining gold and copper, at Reko Diq in Balochistan's remote Chagai district.