MEMRI’s ‘Balochistan Studies Project’ Exposed as Hybrid Warfare Tool Targeting Pakistan
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a Washington-based platform with a significant online following, has launched a new initiative titled the “Balochistan Studies Project” on its official website.
The move has sparked concern among policy experts and national security analysts in Pakistan, particularly due to the appointment of Mir Yar Baloch, an individual with a documented history of anti-Pakistan rhetoric and open support for the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), as Special Advisor to the project.
The digital ghost known as “Mir Yar Baloch” is not a voice for the people of Balochistan; it is a carefully crafted persona in a sophisticated information war against Pakistan. This entity, and the network supporting it, represents a textbook case of hybrid warfare designed to exploit national fault lines and undermine the state from within.
The Illegitimate Messenger: “Mir Yar Baloch” is an imposter. It is an artificial identity, widely believed to be operated by foreign intelligence agencies like India’s RAW, masquerading under a Baloch name to hijack the narrative. By declaring a fictitious “independence” during moments of national crisis, this account reveals its true purpose: to create chaos and serve the geopolitical agenda of Pakistan’s adversaries, not the interests of the Baloch people. This is a profound insult to the proud and patriotic Baloch who refuse to be pawns in a foreign game.
The Partisan “Think Tank” Front: The appointment of this fake persona as a “Special Advisor” to MEMRI’s “Balochistan Studies Project” peels back another layer of the conspiracy. MEMRI is not a neutral academic institution. It is a Washington-based organization founded by former foreign intelligence officials and is known for promoting highly selective, partisan narratives that often align with the interests of states hostile to Pakistan. Launching a “Balochistan Studies Project” is not about genuine research; it is about studying how to weaponize grievances and engineer the balkanization of Pakistan.
The Axis of Disinformation: The nexus is clear and undeniable: a BLA-supporting, anti-Pakistan persona, serving Indian interests, is given a veneer of academic legitimacy by a partisan foreign think tank. This is not a coincidence; it is a coordinated campaign. Their shared objective is to bleed Pakistan by a thousand cuts, using ethnic and sectarian fiction as their weapon of choice. They don’t want to solve problems; they want to create and magnify them.
The Real vs. The Fake: The real people of Balochistan desire peace, development, and prosperity as integrated citizens of Pakistan. They face challenges, which the state and its people are committed to resolving through dialogue and development. The manufactured voices of foreign-sponsored terrorists and their digital mouthpieces like “Mir Yar Baloch” only seek to sabotage this progress. They thrive on conflict, not resolution.
MEMRI’s launch of the Balochistan Studies Project and the appointment of Mir Yar Baloch—a known anti-Pakistan propagandist—reflect a broader hybrid warfare campaign targeting Pakistan’s internal stability. Disguised as research, this effort seeks to exploit ethnic divisions and promote foreign agendas. The people of Balochistan seek peace and progress, not manipulation by digital proxies or hostile think tanks.
