Baloch separatist leader Hyrbyair Marri has said the Baloch people are not in favour of seeking help from India to gain freedom, said a report published on the BBC Urdu website.

In an interview in London, Marri said he was fighting for an "independent Balochistan" however neither he nor his associates have any affiliation with the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militant group.

In response to a question about separatist Baloch Republi­can Party (BRP) leader Brahamdagh Bugti's statement that he was ready to give up his demand for an independent Balochistan if the Baloch so desired, Marri said: "No, i don't think the majority of Baloch people want to live with Pakistan."

Marri said he was not seeking assistance from India for his movement: "I have never sought help from them, nor will I in the future."

He also rejected reports that he travelled to India to start the Free Balochistan Movement.

Hyrbyair Marri — who has been living in self-exile in London since 2000 — is alleged to have been leading the banned BLA.

The June 15, 2013 attack on the Ziarat Residency in Quetta was carried out by the BLA which also claimed responsibility for the murder of 13 non-Baloch labourers in September the same year.

In June this year, an anti-terrorism court in Quetta had indicted Marri and 32 others in the Ziarat Residency bombing case.

Earlier, in a report published by The Hindu, representative of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Organisation (BLO) Balaach Pardili was quoted as saying that he was hoping to "facilitate Nawabzada [Hyrbyair] Marri’s visit to Delhi in near future.”

According to The Hindu's report, Pardili, who hails from Afghanistan, has been living in Delhi since 2009 and was recently contacted by Marri to represent him at public meetings.

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan strikes
Updated 24 Feb, 2026

Afghan strikes

IN the wake of the recent wave of terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan, with most of the atrocities linked to ...
Tug of war
24 Feb, 2026

Tug of war

THE timing may be questioned, but the issue is not new. The PPP and the MQM-P are once again engaging in their old...
Easier CNIC access
24 Feb, 2026

Easier CNIC access

NADRA’S decision to issue CNICs to first-time applicants without requiring them to produce a birth certificate is ...
Hollow applause
Updated 23 Feb, 2026

Hollow applause

The current account turnaround, though largely driven by import compression, rising remittances and bilateral debt rollovers, has eased external pressures.
Delayed appointment
23 Feb, 2026

Delayed appointment

THE recent appointment of a chief election commissioner for Azad Jammu & Kashmir has once again shone a ...
Fragile equilibrium
23 Feb, 2026

Fragile equilibrium

PAKISTAN is not short of food. It is short of resilience. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification...