‘Deal With Them Their Way’: Baloch Liberation Army Appoints Ex-Pakistan Army Captain Rehman Gul As Commander-In-Chief

Last Updated:November 15, 2026, 17:33 IST

Rehman Gul’s elevation to the top post is being viewed by security observers as a calculated move by the insurgent group to leverage insider military expertise against Islamabad

In a leadership shift with strategic implications for the region, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly appointed Rehman Gul — a former captain in the Pakistan Army — as its new Commander-in-Chief.

Known within the outfit by his aliases Ustad Mureed and Mureed Baloch, Gul’s elevation to the top post is being viewed by security observers as a calculated move by the insurgent group to leverage insider military expertise against Islamabad — a strategy echoed in the sentiment to “deal with them their way".

FROM PAKISTAN’S 19TH FRONTIER FORCE TO BLA COMMAND

Originally hailing from Noshki and belonging to a prominent Mengal family, Rehman Gul previously served as a commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army’s 19th Frontier Force Regiment before defecting from the military.

Following his defection, Gul steadily rose through the ranks of the Baloch separatist movement. Before being named successor to the organisation’s top leadership, he served as the BLA’s second-in-command and played a critical role as an operational trainer for the Majeed Brigade, the group’s specialised suicide squad responsible for several high-profile attacks on Pakistani security forces and infrastructure.

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

Intelligence and defense analysts note that placing a former regular army officer at the helm provides the BLA with formal tactical, logistical, and counter-insurgency insights into the Pakistan military’s operational doctrine. With Ustad Mureed now taking charge of overall command, security establishments across the region are closely monitoring how this leadership transition will reshape the group’s operational tempo in Balochistan.

ABOUT BLA

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — also referred to as the Baloch Liberation Army — is an armed ethno-nationalist separatist group advocating for the independence of the Balochistan region from Pakistan.

Founded around 2000, the BLA is a secular, ethno-nationalist organization rather than a religiously motivated group. Its primary goal is to end Pakistani sovereignty over Balochistan — Pakistan’s largest and most resource-rich, yet least developed, province — and establish an independent Baloch state.

The insurgency stems from decades of political marginalization, alleged human rights abuses, and economic grievances. The group argues that the central government in Islamabad exploits Balochistan’s vast reserves of natural gas, copper, gold, and coal without sharing the wealth with the local Baloch population.

The BLA fiercely opposes foreign-backed infrastructure and mining projects, particularly the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), viewing them as a continuation of resource exploitation and demographic displacement.