Gulzar Imam, also known as Shambay, originates from the Panjgur district of Balochistan. He started his involvement in student politics in 2002, joining the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO). Over time, he became the president of its Panjgur region around 2006, when multiple BSO factions merged to create the now-outlawed BSO-Azad, which openly supports the insurgency.
Both Allah Nazar Baloch and Bashir Zaib, who currently spearhead the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), also led BSO-Azad during their student years.
As the government cracked down on BSO-Azad, Imam went into hiding and joined the Baloch Republican Army (BRA), a separatist group led by Brahumdagh Bugti. He quickly became the group’s operational commander, as reported by political activists and journalists from Panjgur.
Between 2016 and 2018, three significant Baloch separatist groups—the Hyrbyair Marri-led BLA, the Brahamdagh Bugti-led BRA, and the Mehran Marri-led United Baloch Army (UBA)—experienced internal divisions. These rifts emerged when lower-middle-class field commanders challenged the leadership of wealthy traditional Baloch tribal chieftains who lived in self-exile in Europe.
Within the BRA, which the Pakistani government has once again banned, Imam and BRA leader Brahumdagh Bugti disagreed on several points, particularly Bugti’s leadership approach. While Bugti, based in Switzerland, sought greater control over BRA’s operations, Imam, who managed the group’s operational command, was dissatisfied. Gulzar Imam wields considerable influence within the Baloch insurgency, unlike Brahumdagh Bugti. Disagreements over negotiating with Pakistani authorities also contributed to their differences.
In October 2018, the BRA expelled Imam due to allegations of extortion and extrajudicial killings.
Gulzar Imam Arrest and Speculations
After months of conjecture about Gulzar Imam’s whereabouts, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed last Friday that Baloch separatist commander Gulzar Imam had been arrested. The military’s media branch considered this a significant counter-terrorism success against the separatist insurgency in the unstable province.
The ISPR statement noted that Shambay’s arrest resulted from an inventive, multi-month, multi-location operation, carefully planned and executed. However, the statement did not reveal the location of Imam’s arrest and referred to the group he led as the Baloch National Army, rather than the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA).
Since mid-September 2022, intelligence and Baloch insurgent circles were filled with rumors of Imam’s arrest. Two months later, the BNA confirmed through its official channel ‘Baask’ that Pakistani intelligence agencies had apprehended Imam. However, the group did not provide details about the location, timing, or circumstances of Imam’s capture.
Before Friday, Pakistan’s security agencies had not confirmed or denied his arrest. However, in off-the-record discussions, security officials admitted that Imam had been detained and that his intelligence had contributed to the dismantling of separatist groups in Balochistan’s Makran region.
