Quetta, May 23 (IANS): Ex-leader of the Baloch National Army (BNA), Gulzar Imam alias Shambay, said on Tuesday that Balochistan's problems can be resolved peacefully, as he urged the nation not to waste its time in fighting, media reports said.

"For the past 15 years, I had been an active part of the militancy in Balochistan," Shambay, the founder of the banned outfit BNA, told a press conference in Quetta alongside government officials, Geo News reported.

Shmbay, a hardcore militant, was apprehended in April during a high-profile and successful intelligence operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations had said, the report said.

BNA -- responsible for dozens of violent terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including attacks on law enforcement agencies in Panjgur and Noshki -- was formed after the amalgamation of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA).

At the presser, the ex-BNA leader said he has "faced all circumstances" during his time as a militant, but his foremost priority "was to safeguard his people".

"I was arrested recently and during my detention, I got time to think about my past from a new perspective," Shambay said, Geo News reported.

The former BNA commander, who has written several booklets for militants, said after meeting Baloch leaders who lead peaceful movements, he has concluded that his province's issues can only be resolved through legal and political means.

"I want to say something... We went into this war without understanding the state. I have lost several loved ones, but after these painful experiences, I learnt that the path I was on was wrong," he said.