In mid-December 2025, the arrest of Khair-un-Nisa from Kech district was more than an intelligence success—it exposed how terrorist networks, backed by Fitnat-ul-Hindustan, systematically exploit women for acts of terror. Investigations revealed that Fareed alias Zagrain, linked to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), had trained her for a suicide attack. Had it succeeded, hundreds of civilians—including children, workers and women—would have perished. Timely state intervention prevented this catastrophe, saving countless families.
Hani Baloch was also arrested for facilitating Khair-un-Nisa. Yet, platforms like BYC quickly labelled the operation an “enforced disappearance,” launching social media campaigns demanding her release. This raises critical questions: Does being female exempt someone from accountability for terrorism? Can gender serve as a shield to justify acts that threaten innocent lives? History in Balochistan and Pakistan shows a troubling pattern: women have been deliberately exploited by terrorist networks. The Karachi University attack by Shari Baloch, targeting Chinese teachers and a Pakistani citizen, illustrates this strategy. Others, including Sumiya Qalandrani, Mahkan, Mahal Baloch and Zarina Rafiq Baloch, have been used as suicide bombers or facilitators. These cases share a pattern of organized indoctrination, emotional manipulation and relentless anti-state propaganda.
Extremists target women because they are perceived as less suspicious and their arrest or death can be spun into a human rights narrative against the state. This dual advantage—executing terror while leveraging propaganda—has made women a primary tool in recruitment and attacks. The international response has often been selective or silent. Organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Norway-based PEN, which claim to champion freedom of expression, frequently host unregistered groups abroad, confer awards and present them as “human rights champions.” Yet they rarely scrutinize whether these individuals are involved in terrorism or responsible for civilian deaths. Arrests of terror facilitators are immediately condemned as human rights violations, while the real perpetrators often escape accountability. Some women, however, have courageously exposed these networks. Press conferences by Adeela Baloch and others revealed how emotional manipulation, social media propaganda and foreign agendas pushed them and others toward violence. Their testimonies confirm that Fitnat-ul-Hindustan’s true goal is not women’s empowerment, but transforming them into instruments of terror. Exploitation extends beyond women to Balochistan’s youth. Poverty, deprivation and social grievances are deliberately leveraged to fuel anti-state sentiment. Young people are indoctrinated to view the state as an enemy and violence as the only solution—an agenda orchestrated and funded externally.
Respecting women is a core societal value, but respect must not shield criminal actions. Women involved in terrorism, like men, must be held accountable. Gender should not alter justice, nor should international actors create double standards. Protecting human rights requires condemning terrorism and its facilitators without bias. The arrest of Khair-un-Nisa, attacks like Shari Baloch’s and testimonies from Adeela Baloch serve as stark reminders: recognizing the truth saves lives. Silence, double standards and selective empathy only fuel terrorism. It is time to see women’s exploitation for what it truly is—not a political or sentimental issue, but a deliberate strategy aimed at destruction rather than humanity.
—The writer is contributing
columnist, based in Quetta
