BYC under scrutiny over alleged links to female suicide bombers

QUETTA: The role of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has come under scrutiny amid claims linking the group’s activities to a rise in female involvement in militant attacks in Balochistan.

Before the formation of BYC in 2020, there had been no recorded instances of women carrying out suicide bombings in Balochistan, despite a long-running insurgency dating back to 1947, according to security analysts and available records.

In 2022, Shari Baloch, a highly educated woman, carried out a suicide attack at the University of Karachi, marking a significant shift in the profile of militants in the region.

Since then, several other women — including Sumaiya Qalandarani, Mahkan Baloch, Mahel Baloch, Zarina Rafiq Baloch, Hawa Baloch and Asiya Mengal — have reportedly been involved in similar attacks.

Officials and analysts say dozens of women are currently present in camps run by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), with the group itself releasing training videos purportedly showing female recruits.

The BYC has publicly positioned itself as an advocacy group highlighting enforced disappearances and human rights concerns in Balochistan. However, critics allege that, behind the scenes, it serves as a recruitment platform for the BLA.

According to these claims, BYC’s messaging portrays the Pakistani state as an “occupying” and “oppressive” force, a narrative that analysts say may influence young women and minors.

Speeches by some BYC leaders, including Sabiha Baloch, frequently refer to the idea of “Baloch rule” and resistance against the state, which critics argue could contribute to radicalisation.

Some experts contend that women who later carried out suicide attacks had, at some level, been associated with BYC protest camps or influenced by its narrative. They describe the group as providing what one analyst termed “raw material” that is then weaponised by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade.

BYC has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.