CLAIM

Viral clip of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting that Pakistan cannot manage Balochistan

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is misleading.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and reviewed the minister’s full National Assembly speech.

Multiple Afghan and Indian users on social media platform X were sharing a video clip since February 3, 2026, of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif addressing the National Assembly, claiming that he admitted Pakistan could not manage Balochistan amid the recent militancy. However, he said no such thing and instead shared the difficulties the government faced in maintaining control of a vast territory.

Balochistan has recently witnessed a sharp escalation in violence, with coordinated militant attacks beginning on January 31, 2026, across several districts, including Quetta, Gwadar and Mastung, primarily targeting security forces and state installations.

The assaults, attributed to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), resulted in multiple casualties among civilians and security personnel and prompted large-scale counter-operations by Pakistani forces. Authorities launched extensive security crackdowns across the province, killing scores of terrorists and imposing strict measures such as suspending mobile internet and train services, raising serious concerns about civilian safety and regional stability.

HOW IT STARTED

On February 3, a pro-Indian account shared a clip on X of the defence minister’s speech with the following caption: “We can’t manage Balochistan. They have more advanced weapons than us. Pakistanis have already surrendered.”

The post gained 651,900 views.

A pro-Afghan account also shared the same clip with a caption claiming Pakistani officials had admitted defeat in Balochistan, framing the remarks as a confession of state failure. This post garnered 4,220 views.

Another pro-Indian account shared the clip with a similar caption, gaining 526 views.

The same clip was further amplified by several other pro-Indian accounts on X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the security situation in Balochistan.

A thorough examination of the said clip showed that the defence minister did not pass the exact remarks as were being attributed to him in the viral video. The transcript of the attached clip is provided below:

“It is such a big area that managing it is a gigantic task. You can’t manage it like this. We face terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well; the number of our security forces there is much more than in Balochistan. Its geography cannot be covered like Punjab, Sindh or KP. They take advantage of that. I told you that there is one Baloch citizen for every 40-45 square kilometre. I will also tell you about the arsenal they have. They have a Rs2 million rifle, which we don’t. The heat-seeking laser mounted on it is $4-5,000. The total gear they have is close to $20,000.”

Reviewing his complete National Assembly address on February 2, 2026, which lasted approximately 44 minutes, showed that the viral clip misrepresented a small excerpt of a longer discussion on security challenges and was taken out of context.

During the speech, Asif discussed Balochistan’s vast geography, sparse population and the operational difficulties faced by security forces in patrolling and securing such a large area. He also referred to the advanced weapons used by militant groups and questioned the sources of their funding and supply. However, at no point did he say that the state had surrendered or was incapable of managing Balochistan.

Further investigation showed that Asif repeatedly rejected the framing of militant violence as a freedom movement and stated that the state would not negotiate with groups involved in attacks on civilians. He reaffirmed that there was no area in Balochistan where militant elements had established complete control and stressed that the response to terrorism would be carried out with the full force of the state.

A keyword search yielded a Dawn news report published on the same date titled “‘Nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalise violence,’ says Asif after attacks in Balochistan”.

It detailed the defence minister’s remarks, confirming that he condemned militant violence, highlighted the role of criminal smuggling networks and foreign-backed proxies, and emphasised national unity in confronting terrorism.

Similarly, The Express Tribune reported on the same day that Asif urged large-scale troop deployment in Balochistan due to its vast geography and ongoing security challenges, while reiterating that the state would not allow violence to be justified as a freedom struggle.

Thus, it can be seen that at no point did the defence minister express an inability to manage the province; he merely explained the operational, administrative and security challenges in doing so.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim that a viral video shows Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting that Pakistan cannot manage Balochistan and has surrendered is misleading.

The clip is taken out of context and misrepresents his remarks, which focused on the province’s geographical challenges, the nature of militant violence and the state’s resolve to combat terrorism. The defence minister elaborated on the difficulty in managing the province, but not the inability to do so or that Pakistan had surrendered.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

February 2, 2026, National Assembly YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3vMg47yeGo

February 2, 2026, Dawn news report:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1970628/khawaja-asif-addresses-national-assembly

February 2, 2026, The Express Tribune news report:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2590424/defence-minister-urges-large-scale-troop-deployment-in-balochistan