Quetta — July 13, 2025
A wave of deadly violence has engulfed Balochistan this week, with a string of coordinated attacks targeting civilians and security personnel across multiple districts. The most harrowing incident occurred near Sur-Dakai in Zhob, where militants intercepted Punjab-bound passenger coaches, checked identity cards, and abducted ten travelers. Nine of them—all ethnic Punjabis—were later found shot dead and discarded by the roadside. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the killings.
That same night, another group of passengers was reportedly kidnapped near Sardhaka, with search operations still underway. The attacks have sparked nationwide outrage and renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s internal security and ethnic fault lines.
In the days that followed, Balochistan saw a surge in insurgent activity:
- A bomb blast in Kalat killed four security personnel.
- A Frontier Corps vehicle was ambushed in Nasirabad, wounding three soldiers.
- An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in a crowded bazaar in Dera Bugti.
Security officials have attributed the escalation to banned outfits including the BLF and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), citing evidence of external support. According to military sources, funding, training, and sanctuary are allegedly being provided by Indian intelligence networks operating across the Afghan border. The Army Chief recently warned that hostile agencies are “doubling down” on their proxy war in Balochistan.
Despite the military’s rapid response—including over 11,000 intelligence-based operations this year alone—the scale and coordination of the attacks have exposed the limits of a security-only approach. Analysts and civil society groups are urging the government to address the political roots of the crisis.
“Balochistan’s persistent sense of exclusion—economic disparity, political marginalisation, and unresolved allegations of state excess—has created space for extremism to fester,” said a senior official from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “That space cannot be cleared through force alone.”
Calls are growing for a comprehensive political process that includes: - Devolution of power to local governments.
- Transparent governance and accountability.
- Credible engagement with alienated communities.
Meanwhile, top government officials have condemned the killings. President Asif Ali Zardari described the massacre as part of a “heinous conspiracy” to inflame ethnic tensions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to avenge the blood of innocent civilians and crush terrorism “at all costs.”
The victims of Sur-Dakai were not casualties of circumstance. They were Pakistani citizens, targeted for their identity. As Balochistan burns, the urgency for both security and political reform has never been greater.
