QUETTA – The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested Mir Khan Lehri, a former government prosecutor in Balochistan, on charges of facilitating the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Lehri, described as a close associate of the previously arrested Dr. Usman Qazi, was taken into custody on Friday, according to CTD sources.
Officials revealed that Lehri holds a law degree from the International Islamic University Islamabad and had served in the Balochistan government in a legal capacity. During his tenure, he allegedly supported BLA operatives through various means.
Initial investigations suggest Lehri was involved in over a dozen criminal activities linked to the outlawed group. The CTD has launched a deeper inquiry into his suspected role and possible connections within the BLA’s local network.
Confessional Video Ties Academic to BLA Network
Lehri’s arrest follows the high-profile detention of Dr. Usman Qazi, a professor at the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), who is also accused of aiding the BLA.
A video statement surfaced online shortly after Qazi’s arrest, in which he confessed to maintaining ties with the banned organization. In the video, Dr. Qazi details how both he and his wife were employed in the government sector. He stated he had earned his PhD from the University of Peshawar and was serving as a Grade-18 lecturer at BUITEMS.
According to his confession, during an academic visit to Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, he encountered three individuals affiliated with the BLA. “Two of them were later killed,” he said.
Qazi further revealed that a man named Dr. Hebtan, also known as Kalak, recruited him into the BLA. He was later introduced to Bashir Zeb, a senior figure within the organization, and communicated with him via Telegram. Qazi claimed he was assigned the alias ‘Amir’ and was involved in three operational tasks for the group.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact nature of Lehri’s alleged involvement, but sources confirm that further arrests may follow as the CTD expands its investigation into the group’s facilitators operating within state institutions.
