Pakistan foils BLA plot to recruit young Baloch girl as suicide bomber via social media

Pakistan's law enforcement agencies in Karachi have foiled an attempt by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) to groom a minor girl as a suicide bomber after authorities said she was contacted through Instagram and radicalised via social media platforms by the militant outfit.

The young Baloch girl who was being groomed by BAL to carry out a suicide attack in Karachi, senior officials revealed on Monday.

The revelations came during a press conference addressed by Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, alongside senior police officials, including Sindh CTD Additional IG Muhammad Azad Khan.

The home minister said Karachi was saved from a major catastrophe due to timely and effective intelligence-based action by law enforcement agencies.

AIG Azad Khan disclosed that a minor girl was safely taken into custody during a highly sensitive intelligence operation on the night of Dec.25.
 
The questioning revealed that the girl, a school student from Balochistan whose identity has been withheld, had been radicalised online by BLA and was on her way to meet handlers linked to the banned militant group.

Officials said the terrorists targeted the girl through social media platforms, particularly Instagram and WhatsApp. Her phone usage in secrecy was exploited by handlers who gradually poisoned her mind with anti-state, extremist and foreign-backed content.
 
The handler initially contacted her under the guise of sympathy and support, later convincing her that suicide attacks were acts of bravery and sacrifice.

According to CTD, the girl was deceptively sent to Karachi, while her family was misled and left behind. Due to heightened police checking at city entry points, the handler failed to reach the desired location, exposing the conspiracy.

During debriefing, the girl provided complete details of the terrorist network, its recruitment methods and operational strategy.
 
Given her young age, authorities immediately summoned the girl’s family from Balochistan. Her mother and siblings reached Karachi and the girl was handed over with full protection, dignity and respect.

Speaking in a recorded video at the press conference, the girl said she gradually came to believe the narratives shared in the WhatsApp group. She said this influenced her thinking, turning her against the state, and led her to lose interest in her studies, family, and friends.

Authorities said the timely identification and questioning of the girl prevented a potential catastrophe.

AIG Azad Khan urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity, warning that militant groups were deliberately targeting minors due to their vulnerability and lack of maturity.

Police said no legal action would be taken against the girl and that she remains in protective custody. Her identity will not be disclosed.

Interior Minister Lanjar said the girl was not being treated as an accused and assured that the state is the guarantor of the girl’s honour, safety and future, and her identity is being kept strictly confidential.

“Due to her young age, she was misled,” he said. “She is being given a chance to reform.”

Officials said the case highlights how militant groups are increasingly using social media platforms to recruit and radicalise underage children, posing serious security risks.

She said she was targeted further after the handler learned her father had passed away. "They portrayed BLA actions as heroism. My studies suffered, and I was made to believe that sacrificing my life was the greatest purpose,” she said.
 
She added that being stopped at a police checkpoint terrified her and made her realise the disaster she was heading toward. "I am a Baloch. Our traditions respect women. Sacrificing girls is not Balochism,” she said, warning others that those preaching sacrifice are "hunters, not helpers.”

The girl’s mother said the family chose to speak publicly in the national interest, so no other girl falls into the same trap. "Like a mother, the state saved my daughter’s life and fully protected her honour,” she said.
 
The CTD official stressed that strict action will be taken against facilitators and terrorist networks under the zero-tolerance policy.
 
He urged social media platforms to tighten checks, shut down extremist accounts and fix algorithms that promote hateful content. Parents were also advised to closely monitor children’s online activities, warning that "a mobile phone can put an entire family at risk.”
 
Lanjar said the incident proves that banned BLA and BLF are exploiting women and children as weapons. "Suicide attacks are forbidden in Islam, humanity and Baloch traditions. This is not resistance - it is the worst form of terrorism and child exploitation,” he said.

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar said that the entire nation has now seen the "ugly face” of BLA and BLF.

He said many terrorist-linked social media accounts have already been shut down, further crackdowns are underway, and a National Cyber Crime Agency has been formed.

The government is also considering a framework to regulate digital broadcasting and journalism, with policy details to be announced soon.

NNI News Service