Report says BYC and associated groups extended violence to judges, workers 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 the law enforcement agencies, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its associated terrorist groups 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 gunmen opened fire on their vehicle on the national highway in Mastung, Balochistan. Additional Sessions Judge Tariq Lashari and another person were seriously injured in the attack.
The attack reflects a calculated shift in strategy aimed at sowing widespread fear and destabilizing public administration across Balochistan.
Read: District judge, security guard killed in gun attack in Mastung, Balochistan
For months, state law enforcement managed to build a wall against anti-state elements. In response, these terrorist networks – operating under the cover of the BYC – have expanded their reach to vulnerable targets, unarmed citizens and magistrates, in a desperate attempt to sow chaos.
The attack comes amid a sudden wave of violence deliberately directed against non-military civilian targets, including the targeted killing of Judge Kakar, five innocent workers in Mashkel and bus passengers in Khadkocha.
This trend of targeting civilian institutions reached a breaking point following the June 22, 2026 conviction of BYC leader Mahrang Lango by an anti-terrorism court in Quetta. Unable to confront law enforcement directly on the ground, leaders turned to the judicial system.
On the day of the verdict, Sammi Deen, a close associate of Mahrang, posted a provocative statement on social media, explicitly inciting hostility against the judges.
Justice Kakar’s martyrdom occurred exactly a month after Sammi Deen’s statement, confirming local observers’ warnings that the BYC’s rhetoric serves as a direct operational signal to the BLA and affiliated terrorist groups to execute attacks against soft targets.
Having lost ground to resilient law enforcement, these terrorist elements and their political enablers are now demonstrating that they recognize no distinction in matters of religion, humanity or ethnicity.
By targeting judges, unarmed workers, women and bus passengers, their sole aim is to disrupt daily life, halt regional development and serve external contractors by attacking the very fabric of Balochistan’s civil society.
