Judge's killing marks shift towards civilian targets in Balochistan: report

Report says BYC and associated groups have expanded violence to judges, labourers and bus passengers

The martyrdom of District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his bodyguard in Mastung signals a dangerous shift in Balochistan as, after failing to break law enforcement agencies, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its associate terrorist outfits have now turned their attacks on civilians and state institutions.

On Thursday, District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard were killed after unidentified armed men opened fire on their vehicle on the national highway in Balochistan's Mastung. Additional Sessions Judge Tariq Lashari and another person were seriously injured in the attack.

The attack reflects a calculated shift in strategy to instil widespread fear and destabilise public administration across Balochistan.

Read: District judge, security guard killed in gun attack in Balochistan's Mastung

For months, state law enforcement agencies successfully stood as a wall against anti-state elements. In response, these terrorist networks — operating under the cover of the BYC — have expanded their scope of violence to soft targets, unarmed citizens and judicial officers in a desperate bid to create chaos.

The attack comes amid a sudden wave of violence deliberately directed at non-military civilian targets, including the targeted killing of Judge Kakar, five innocent labourers in Mashkel and bus passengers in Khadkocha.

This shift towards targeting civilian institutions reached a breaking point following the June 22, 2026, sentencing of BYC chief Mahrang Lango by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta. Unable to confront law enforcement directly on the ground, the leadership turned its sights on the court system.

On the day of the verdict, Sammi Deen, a close associate of Mahrang, issued a provocative statement on social media explicitly inciting hostility against judges.

The martyrdom of Judge Kakar occurred exactly one month after Sammi Deen's statement, confirming warnings from local observers that the BYC's rhetoric serves as a direct operational signal for the BLA and affiliated terrorist outfits to execute attacks against soft targets.

Having lost ground against resilient law enforcement forces, these terrorist elements and their political facilitators are now demonstrating that they recognise no distinction regarding religion, humanity or ethnicity.

By targeting judges, unarmed labourers, women and bus passengers, their sole remaining objective is to disrupt daily life, halt regional development and serve external handlers by attacking the very fabric of civilian society in Balochistan.