ISLAMABAD: Officials in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan announced on Thursday they had activated a “red notice cell” to pursue nationals abroad who were sponsoring “terrorist” activities against the state, announcing they had also dismantled a militant network in the province that was using underage children for subversive activities. 

Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Deputy Inspector General Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya made the announcement during a press conference in Quetta that coincided with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the city.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the site of a low-level insurgency involving Baloch separatist groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF). Pakistan alleges senior commanders of the BLA launch attacks against the country and enjoy sanctuaries in India and Afghanistan, charges both nations deny. 

“Our red notice cell has also been activated, lists for red notices have already been prepared,” Shafqaat said.

A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country.

“There are more than 100 individuals currently outside Pakistan who are conspiring against the country — they are lobbying, promoting and sponsoring terrorist activities in Pakistan,” Shafqaat said. 
 
He explained that the government will first approach lower courts before submitting the names of suspects to the interior ministry to request a red notice from Interpol.

Meanwhile, DIG CTD Goraya confirmed the arrest of four suspected BLA militants involved in intelligence sharing and transporting extortion funds and arms for the group.

He said Sajid Ahmed alias Shavez was arrested in Balochistan’s Panjgur district while he was transporting arms and ammunition to the Turbat district. 

The seized weapons included an RPG, five rockets, two M16 rifles with 23 magazines, 800 rounds of ammunition, 20 hand grenades with 22 fuses, 30 demolition charges (full slabs of C4), one jacket with remote controls, 13-under-barrel grenade launcher rounds and 30 detonating cords, Goraya said. 

The official highlighted that Ahmed was also suspected of sharing locations of sensitive places with BLF and BLA operatives residing in a neighboring country via Google Earth software.

These locations included the CTD complex in Turbat, the entry and exit points of Turbat Airport and an under-construction high court. He said Ahmed was also accused of conducting reconnaissance on the paramilitary Frontier Corps and other law enforcement personnel.

‘PROPER NETWORK’

The CTD official pointed out that Ahmed was also “associated” with the prominent Baloch rights group, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).

He said Ahmed was in contact with BYC leadership and was involved in writing subversive literature, promoting it on their websites and recruiting individuals. 

Goraya alleged that the BYC initially recruited children for their protests and later encouraged them to join the BLA or BLF.

“Recently, during investigations and inquiries, it has emerged that a proper network is being run which relies on underage children, because they are not thoroughly checked,” he said. 

 “Through them, transportation [is arranged] and extortion money is moved. The IG (inspector general) has directed us to call in the parents and inform them about their children’s activities.”

The BYC, led by activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch, has long campaigned for the rights of the ethnic Baloch community, which claims to be subjected to extrajudicial harassment, arrests and killings by security forces in the province.

The Pakistani state, however, denies the allegations, saying its forces are combating separatist militants who target armed forces personnel and foreign nationals in Balochistan. 

Militancy spiked in Pakistan last year, with the military’s spokesperson saying this week that security forces killed 2,597 militants in more than 75,000 counterterrorism operations in 2025.