Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said the so-called rights movement in Balochistan had been hijacked by smuggling mafias whose illegal businesses were affected by government action.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif said the “false narrative” of the movement had collapsed, as criminal elements previously earning billions through oil smuggling were now fuelling unrest in the province.

He said oil smugglers were making up to Rs4 billion daily by purchasing fuel from Iran at Rs40 per litre under permit arrangements and selling it locally at Rs200 per litre. He alleged that a nexus involving bureaucrats, tribal leaders, and criminal groups was facilitating the illegal trade.

The defence minister said the movement, which claimed to be nationalist, had effectively turned into a front for smugglers and criminals who were also financing it. He alleged that criminals operating under the name of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were protecting smugglers.

Asif said the government and the armed forces had taken firm action against these networks, damaging their financial interests, which in turn led to a surge in lawlessness in Balochistan.

Referring to the province’s vast geography, he said Balochistan constituted 40 per cent of Pakistan’s landmass, with an average population density of one person per 35 kilometres, making surveillance and patrolling extremely challenging.

He added that large-scale deployment of troops was necessary to maintain security.

The defence minister also said goods transported under transit trade arrangements for Afghanistan and other countries were being smuggled back into Pakistan and sold in local markets. He said strict action against this practice triggered protests in several areas, including Chaman.

Khawaja Asif further alleged that Indian-backed elements were operating as proxies in Balochistan and that Afghan territory was being used to facilitate terrorism in the province. He claimed terrorist leadership was based in Afghanistan and received support from there.

Rejecting calls for talks with the group, he said it no longer had any political or nationalist identity.

The defence minister told the House that over the past two days, 177 terrorists had been killed in Balochistan. He said 16 security personnel and 33 civilians were also martyred during the violence.

He added that the killed terrorists were part of the same criminal network and that their claims of human rights or nationalism had been fully exposed.