The Popular Front for Armed
Resistance (PFAR), a terrorist outfit formed during the 1960's advocates
the secession of all Baluch regions from Pakistan. Their areas of
operation are in the Baluch regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although
there are no accurate independent estimates of its membership strength,
the outfit claimed that during the 1980's there were 3000 Baluch cadres
based in Afghanistan, and an equal number in Sindh.
Earlier in the 1970's, the
PFAR was reported to have begun recruiting cadres from the Mengal and
Marri tribes to augment its base. Most of the outfit's activists have been
trained in the Afghan region. This region is also the source for their
weaponry and goods.
In 1974, the PFAR carried
out a series of bomb attacks in the various cities of Pakistan including a
bomb explosion in August during a political rally at Karachi due to be
attended by the then Pakistani premier Zulfikar Bhutto. An intensive
counter-terrorist operation was undertaken by Pakistani security forces
against the PFAR in the same year. Iran offered external assistance to
these counter-terrorism operations in the form of gun-ships and pilots to
assist Pakistani forces.
Consequently, the outfit
was considerably weakened and lost its ability to carry out guerilla
attacks in Pakistan. Their current status is ambiguous. Western reports
allege that with the ascendancy of Taliban in Afganistan, there is a
renewed interest within the Baluchis to regroup and continue the PFAR
agenda. It is also alleged that some members are involved in
drug-trafficking with the active connivance of Taliban authorities.
