Unchecked bloodshed

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Another bloodshed, another escape without consequence. The execution of seven passengers, bound for Punjab, in Barkhan area of Balochistan is the latest in a series of targeted killings that have turned the highways of the restive province into execution grounds. A group of around 40 armed men stopped buses, checked passengers' ID cards, singled out their victims, and shot them dead. Then, as always, they disappeared.

This attack, however, is not an isolated incident. In April, nine men from Punjab were executed after being pulled off a bus near Noshki. In May last year, seven barbers also belonging to Punjab were gunned down near Gwadar. August saw the most brutal of such attacks, when 23 travellers were offloaded from trucks and buses, travelling to and from Punjab, and shot dead in Musakhail.

A disturbing pattern has emerged - ethnic targeting continues with impunity, while the state remains largely ineffective in stopping these attacks. Balochistan is an area with a heavy security presence. Yet, these incidents continue with alarming frequency.

Armed groups operate with apparent ease, and the absence of effective action raises uncomfortable questions about the state's capacity or willingness to prevent such atrocities. The state's response has so far been reactionary, with short-lived crackdowns that do little to dismantle the networks behind these attacks.

The lack of arrests or convictions only emboldens those who carry out such killings. If this cycle is to be broken, there must be a sustained security strategy that prioritises intelligence-based operations to disrupt these militant groups, alongside efforts to address the deep-rooted grievances that fuel violence in the province.

People deserve security and justice. If these killings are allowed to continue, they will only deepen the divisions that have long plagued Balochistan and further erode public trust in the state's institutions.