Kamal Ghorui
The Baloch Liberation Army is said to be directing its attacks on Pakistani security forces, and this is happening under new leadership. So who is the leader currently heading it?Amid this unrest, Bashir Zaib has become the most prominent figure in the BLA, rising from student activism in Balochistan to commanding one of the region’s most dynamic militant groups.Bashir Zaib isn’t your typical rebel leader; he’s a guy who traded textbooks for rifles, student rallies for roadside ambushes. But what made a young engineering student from a simple district, passionate about poetry and politics, suddenly get thrust into the spotlight as the face of one of Pakistan’s most persistent insurgencies?
Who is Bashir Zaib? Why his desert bike video is being compared to ‘Hamza’ from ‘Dhurandhar’ (Photo: @abhish_31/ X/ BLA )
Who is Bashir Zaib?
Bashir Zaib belongs to Nushki district in Balochistan, a place known more for its isolation than headlines. According to a Moneycontrol report, he studied mechanical engineering at Quetta Polytechnic College before earning a master’s in Balochi literature. Before the armed struggle, he was deeply involved in student politics, chairing the Baloch Students Organisation–Azad (BSO-Azad), a group pushing for political rights and autonomy, often at loggerheads with authorities.His shift into militancy came around 2012 amid injustices faced by activists, including arrests, restrictions, and a stifling political scene, as detailed in the same report.Zaib gradually rose through the ranks. Following Aslam Baloch’s death in 2018, BLA’s senior leaders tapped him as commander-in-chief, according to Jamestown Foundation profiles. A Jamestown analysis describes him as a “middle-class, calm, and well-spoken man in his forties” from the Muhammad Hasni tribe, educated in Quetta.
Why is he being linked to the movie ‘Dhurandhar ’?
Zaib’s profile spiked with a viral video in which he is seen on a motorcycle in a rocky desert, fighters flanking him amid swirling dust.Social media buzzed, comparing his “unhurried, composed posture” to Hamza from the film Dhurandhar – the desert backdrop, slow bike entry, and militant gear made it feel straight out of cinema.Social media users called it “almost cinematic,” with clips remixed to dramatic music, turning his photos into pop culture content.
He leads the Balochistan Liberation Front
Under Zaib, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), labelled a terrorist group by Pakistan, the US, UK, EU, and others, has increasingly started attacking Pakistani forces and Chinese projects tied to the CPEC, at least that’s what the reports suggest.They’ve used suicide operations, including female operatives, aiming for an independent Balochistan. Wikipedia confirms his leadership since 2018, after his brother Aslam’s tenure.
What is Operation Herof 2.0 ?
Operation Herof Phase 2 brought new engagements as the BLA claimed coordinated attacks across districts, heavy enemy losses, and their own casualties from units like the Majeed Brigade.As per a report in The Native Voices, “Herof” is a Balochi literary term meaning “black storm,” commonly used in Baloch poetry, including by veteran poet Karim Dashti.The BLA first used the term in August 2024, launching Herof 1.0 with attacks across 12 districts. That campaign shocked authorities by striking areas previously considered relatively stable, including Lasbela and Musakhel, and by introducing a female suicide bomber into the group’s operations.
