Report says BYC and affiliated groups have extended violence to judges, workers and bus passengers
The martyrdom of District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakars and his bodyguard in Mastung signals a dangerous shift in Balochistan as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its associated terror outfits have now turned their attacks on civil and government institutions after failing to crack down on law enforcement agencies.
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 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 instill widespread fear and destabilize public administration across Balochistan.
Read: District Magistrate, security guard killed in gun attack in Balochistan’s Mastung
For months, state law enforcement agencies have successfully stood as a wall against anti-government elements. In response, these terrorist networks – operating under the guise of BYC – have expanded their scope of violence to soft targets, unarmed citizens and law enforcement officers in a desperate attempt to wreak havoc.
The attack comes amid a sudden wave of violence deliberately targeting non-military civilian targets, including the targeted killing of Judge Kakar, five innocent workers in Mashkel and bus passengers in Khadkocha.
This shift towards targeting civilian institutions reached a breaking point after June 22, 2026, when BYC chief Mahrang Lango was convicted by an anti-terrorism court in Quetta. Unable to confront law enforcement directly on the ground, management turned to the legal system.
On the day of the verdict, Sammi Deen, a close associate of Mahrang, issued a provocative statement on social media that explicitly incited hostility towards judges.
Justice Kakar’s martyrdom occurred exactly one month after Sammi Deen’s statement, confirming warnings by local observers that the BYC’s rhetoric serves as a direct operational signal for the BLA and affiliated terrorists to carry out attacks on soft targets.
Having lost ground against resilient law enforcement forces, these terrorist elements and their political facilitators are now demonstrating that they recognize no difference in terms of religion, humanity or ethnicity.
By attacking judges, unarmed workers, women and bus passengers, their only remaining aim is to disrupt daily life, halt regional development and serve external handlers by attacking the very fabric of civil society in Balochistan.
