MEMRI amid heightened regional tensions following Israel’s reported missile strikes inside Iran, a Washington-based media organization with deep Israeli ties has launched a “Balochistan Studies” initiative featuring a secessionist map and the appointment of a controversial figure linked to banned separatist elements.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), co-founded by former Israeli intelligence officer Yigal Carmon, announced the desk this week, positioning it as a hub for research and discourse on Balochistan. However, its launch has sparked significant concern in diplomatic and strategic circles for what critics are calling a “disguised partition protocol.”

At the center of the controversy is MEMRI’s decision to showcase a map depicting Balochistan as an independent entity carved from both Pakistani and Iranian territory. Equally contentious is the appointment of Mir Yar Baloch, widely regarded as a sympathizer of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), as advisor to the project. The BLA is designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and several other countries.

Observers have noted the timing of the project’s launch, coinciding almost precisely with Israel’s military action in Iran, a move seen by analysts as part of a broader hybrid strategy targeting regional cohesion.

Also See : India-Israel Nexus Fuels Balochistan Information War

Geopolitical Undercurrents

Policy experts and analysts point to the increasingly visible Indo-Israeli convergence on Balochistan-related narratives. Indian social media operations have frequently amplified calls for “Free Balochistan,” particularly in the wake of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) milestones. The pairing of Gwadar and Iran’s Chabahar Port in MEMRI’s messaging is seen as an attempt to frame the narrative around corridor disruption; a direct threat to regional connectivity and development.

“There is an observable shift from kinetic destabilization to narrative subversion,” says a Salman Javed, Director General Hindukush Tribune Network (HTN). “We’re now seeing strategic maps deployed as soft weapons, where think tanks serve as proxies for geopolitical aims.”

Not the First Time: MEMRI Role Revisited

This is not the first time MEMRI’s credibility has come under question. In a public exchange in 2003, former Guardian Middle East editor Brian Whitaker criticized MEMRI for posing as an impartial research institute while promoting a political agenda aligned with Israeli interests. He also pointed out the organization’s failure to disclose the intelligence backgrounds of its founders or their political affiliations.

The latest development has raised renewed calls for vigilance across Pakistan’s diplomatic and media domains. Officials have expressed the need for coordinated responses, both at international forums and within digital policy frameworks, to confront the growing trend of weaponized narratives.

Pakistan’s Response

While no official government statement has yet been released, high-level sources indicate that the Foreign Office and intelligence agencies are monitoring the situation closely. According to senior security officials, consultations are underway with friendly nations, including China, Iran, and members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to raise the issue diplomatically.

Informed circles suggest Pakistan may table a formal response at upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and OIC platforms, where territorial integrity and media warfare are likely to feature as key agenda items.

A War Beyond Borders

Analysts view the MEMRI episode not as an isolated incident, but as part of an evolving fifth-generation warfare (5GW) doctrine targeting state cohesion through information manipulation.

“In today’s battlespace, disinformation desks operate with more precision than drones,” says a Salman Javed. “Maps, media, and mouthpieces now constitute the new frontline.”

As regional actors recalibrate their diplomatic and security postures in light of unfolding developments, Pakistan appears poised to assertively challenge any attempt, covert or overt, to undermine its sovereignty through manufactured narratives masquerading as research.