Karachi terror plot thwarted as little Baloch girl rescued from BLA

A major terror plot by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to use an underage girl as a suicide bomber was foiled in Karachi, exposing what officials described as a heinous strategy to exploit children for terrorism, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, along with police officials and the victim girl and her mother, disclosed the details during a press conference in Karachi, saying that BLA and its allied group, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), were actively involved in recruiting underage Baloch girls for suicide attacks.

He said that in a recent attempt, a minor girl was sent to Karachi to carry out a suicide bombing, but heightened police checking at pickets prevented her handler from reaching the targeted location.

“Criminal elements are brainwashing young boys and girls, and social media is being used as a weapon,” Lanjar said, adding that suicide attacks have no place in Islam, humanity or Baloch traditions.

The Additional Inspector General of Police CTD said that the identity of the rescued girl was being kept strictly confidential. He said the girl had been secretly using a mobile phone, which handlers exploited to indoctrinate her with anti-Pakistan and foreign-backed propaganda.

The police officer said a handler first contacted her under the guise of sympathy and support before pushing her towards the suicide mission and sending her to Karachi after she lied to her family.

Provincial Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said the girl had been returned to her family with full protection and dignity, while investigations were continuing.

He termed the episode the worst form of terrorism, stressing that pushing underage girls towards death was not resistance but sheer exploitation and open terror.

The rescued girl told the media that after learning about her father’s death, the handler manipulated her emotionally, sending speeches and links that gradually seemed convincing.

She said her studies suffered, and she was made to believe that giving her life was the ultimate purpose, as violent acts were glorified as bravery in WhatsApp groups.

She said she now realised the destruction she was heading towards and added that sacrificing women and girls was not part of Baloch culture.

Her mother said the family decided to speak out in the public interest so that no other girl would fall into such a trap.

She thanked the state for saving her daughter’s life and dignity and urged social media platforms to impose strict checks against hate and terrorist content.

The Additional IG CTD said that under a zero-tolerance policy, facilitators and networks would be taken to their logical end under the law, urging parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities.

He said the case was clear evidence that the banned BLA and BLF were using women and underage girls as weapons.