Faced with a relentless wave of insurgent attacks in Balochistan and growing unrest across Pakistan’s restive provinces, Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has once again dusted off the military establishment’s favourite excuse -- blaming India. Days after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for killing three members of Pakistan’s notorious military-intelligence-backed “death squad,” Munir accused India of escalating a “proxy war” against Pakistan.
Speaking at an army workshop in Balochistan, Munir alleged that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was backing what he called “terror proxies” in a “failed bid to undermine Balochistan’s patriotism,” according to the ISPR. He went further, framing India’s supposed actions as a desperate reaction to its “defeat in the Marka-e-Haq,” referring to the May skirmish that Pakistan bizarrely dubbed a moral victory, even as its terror hubs and airbases suffered immense damage by India’s precision strikes.
But this well-worn tactic of crying foul and pointing fingers at India is part of Pakistan’s long-standing playbook -- a tired strategy to deflect blame from its own failings. As insurgents escalate their offensive against Pakistani forces in Balochistan, Munir’s rhetoric looks increasingly like a smokescreen for a military that has lost control.
In line with Munir’s remarks, the Director General of ISPR, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, parroted similar claims in a recent interview with Al Jazeera. Chaudhry -- the son of a disgraced nuclear scientist who tried to share weapons technology with Osama bin Laden -- accused RAW of financing attacks like the Jaffar Express bombing in March 2025.
Earlier this week, Munir even blamed India for a deadly attack in Waziristan that left 16 Pakistani soldiers dead. India swiftly rejected the accusations, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating: “...In order to divert attention from its reputation as the global epicentre of terrorism and to hide its own gross failings, it has become second nature to Pakistan to blame India for all its internal issues. This attempt to hoodwink the world is doomed to fail.”
Baloch insurgency tightens grip
Behind Munir’s accusatory tone is a growing fear: the Baloch insurgency is gaining strength. In recent weeks, the BLA has carried out a string of coordinated and lethal strikes on Pakistan's security apparatus.
On July 23, BLA fighters torched a military supply vehicle in Balochistan. Around the same time, a powerful blast targeted railway tracks in Sibi district, halting Bolan Mail operations. Earlier this year, that same train was hijacked, reportedly carrying Pakistan Army and Rangers personnel.
In May, the BLA claimed responsibility for two deadly IED attacks that killed 14 Pakistani soldiers, including two special operations commanders. That same month, it conducted a massive wave of 71 coordinated attacks across 51 locations -- a direct challenge to Pakistan’s claims of control.
Meanwhile, forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch activists, including elderly people and women, have surged, with mutilated bodies turning up as chilling warnings. In one particularly gruesome case, three abducted Baloch men were found dead with their faces burned beyond recognition.
Smokescreen for systemic failures
The spike in Baloch attacks and the military’s brutal crackdown have revealed the deepening crisis within Pakistan’s borders. Yet instead of confronting its internal rot -- systemic repression, political exclusion, and resource exploitation -- Islamabad falls back on a familiar scapegoat.
By painting India as the villain, Munir and the establishment are attempting to rally domestic support and distract from their own catastrophic mismanagement. But the BLA has repeatedly rejected the charge of being an Indian proxy, asserting its independence and accusing Pakistan’s ISI of promoting terrorism instead.
As violence escalates and popular dissent mounts in Balochistan, Pakistan’s military seems more desperate than ever, and Field Marshal Asim Munir’s hollow cries of Indian conspiracy are sounding increasingly like cries for help.
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