Terrorism has once again targeted the guardians of the law in Balochistan after Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the targeted killing of Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard while they were travelling to Mastung on Thursday morning.
The attack took place near Wali Khan Patek on the Quetta-Mastung National Highway as the judicial officers were travelling from Quetta to the Sessions Court in Mastung.
According to police, Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard Muhammad Zaman were martyred on the spot, while Additional Session Judge Tariq Lashari and another individual sustained serious injuries.
Initial reports had attributed the attack to terrorists belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), referred to by the Government of Pakistan as Fitna al-Hindustan. However, hours after the attack, ISKP issued a statement claiming responsibility for the targeted killing.
Hassan Khan, a senior journalist with expertise on terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said in a post on X that the ISKP claim raises questions about a significant connection between the two terrorist groups—the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), referred to by the Government of Pakistan as Fitna al-Hindustan, and ISKP. According to Hassan Khan, the attack carries all the signatures of terrorist attacks committed by the BLA and appears to have been intended to send a strong message to the judiciary, particularly following the sentencing of BYC activists. He also noted that ISKP claimed responsibility within hours of the attack.
Hassan Khan further said it appeared that ISKP may have been encouraged by its partner in terrorism to claim responsibility in an attempt to divert public attention—and the anger of local people—away from the BLA. He added that an interesting pattern appeared to be emerging between the two terrorist networks—ISKP and the BLA—where one carries out an attack while the other claims responsibility.
Chief Minister Calls Attack an Assault on the State
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack, saying the assassination of Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar was an attack on the state itself.
He said terrorists would be brought to justice at all costs, adding that the blood of those safeguarding the law would not go in vain and there would be no leniency for terrorists or their facilitators.
Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove also condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard.
The Home Minister directed the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner to submit an immediate report, stating that the attack on the judiciary was a failed attempt to challenge the writ of the state. He vowed that every drop of the martyrs’ blood would be accounted for.
Police said investigations are underway, while search operations and intelligence-based operations (IBOs) have been launched to arrest the terrorists involved.
Banned Terrorist Organisations Continue Targeting Judiciary, Teachers and State Institutions
The latest attack highlights a continuing pattern in Balochistan, where banned terrorist organisations have repeatedly targeted the judiciary, school teachers, civil administration, banks and critical infrastructure.
Terrorist organisations target teachers in an attempt to halt the promotion of education, paralyse the administrative system and create an atmosphere of fear across the province.
Targeting the Judiciary Is Part of a Broader Pattern
The attacks on the judiciary and civil administration in Balochistan in recent years are not isolated incidents but appear to be part of a deliberate strategy.
The objective of these attacks is not only to take lives but also to weaken the institutions responsible for enforcing the law, delivering justice and ensuring the writ of the state.
The assassination of Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar is the latest in a series of attacks targeting members of Pakistan’s judiciary.
In 2022, former Balochistan High Court Judge and former Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court Justice Noor Mohammad Maskanzai was assassinated in a terrorist attack. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the killing.
Earlier, in 2000, Justice Mir Muhammad Nawaz Marri, a judge of the Balochistan High Court, was also assassinated in a targeted terrorist attack.
Civil Administration Has Also Been Under Attack
Senior civil administrators have also remained targets of terrorist violence in Balochistan.
Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Zakir Baloch was martyred along with his colleagues after terrorists opened fire on their vehicle. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) also claimed responsibility for that attack.
Terrorist Strategy Focuses on Weakening State Institutions
The strategy of terrorist organisations has extended beyond attacks on security forces to include the judiciary, civil administration, education and other state institutions.
Attacks on judges, teachers, civil officers and other government officials are aimed at depriving citizens of essential public services, weakening governance, disrupting the administrative structure and creating an atmosphere of fear.
Teachers and educational institutions have repeatedly been targeted because terrorist organisations seek to obstruct education and discourage the expansion of learning in the province.
Similarly, attacks on members of the judiciary are intended to weaken the justice system, challenge the rule of law and undermine the authority of the state.
The question increasingly being asked is whether the objective extends beyond challenging the state’s security apparatus to weakening the institutions that connect ordinary citizens to governance, education, and public services.
