SUMMARY
Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) is one of several militant separatist groups based in the province of Balochistan in western Pakistan. BLF opposes the Government of Pakistan and aims to establish an independent state. Despite being rich in natural resources, Balochistan is among the poorest regions in Pakistan. This, together with the growing influx from Punjab and other non-ethnic Baloch, has resulted in a widespread perception among ethnic Baloch who feel economically and politically marginalized within Pakistan. As a result, the region has seen a number of insurgency movements since the state of Pakistan was created in 1948 and the Pakistani government has repeatedly used brutal military force to suppress the uprisings.
Juma Khan Marri, a Baloch nationalist, established BLF in 1964 in Damascus, Syria. BLF participated together with other Baloch insurgents in the Baloch revolts in Iran 1968-1973 when they reached an agreement with the Shah of Iran. In 1973 the BLF launched an insurgency in Pakistan, which marked the start of the Balochistan conflict in Pakistan. The conflict terminated with a ceasefire in 1977 and amnesty was provided for the militants. The Baloch insurgencies in Iran and Pakistan both received support from Iraq. BLF resurfaced in 2004 as Baloch insurgency remerged in Pakistan.
The founder Marri led BLF from its foundation until 1977. As the group reemerged in the 2000s, Dr. Allah Nazer took the lead. Nazer also founded the Balochistan Students Organization - Azad, a separatist faction of Balochistan Students Organization. Brahamdagh Bugti, leader of BRA also seemed to be connected to the group. There were several groups in the region fighting for the same cause, however little intergroup coordination was observed. Pakistani government claimed that several Baloch insurgent groups received support from India, however these allegations were denied. Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the Indian government of providing support to the separatist movements. There was, however, no evidence confirming India’s involvement.
In November 2018, BLF and BLA announced that it had entered into a formal alliance under the name of BRAS, an umbrella group uniting armed separatist organizations seeking independence for the province of Baluchistan. BRA formally joined the new alliance in June 2019. With the establishment of BRAS, BLF ceased to exist as an independent entity in UCDP data.
