When University of Gwadar Vice Chancellor Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir was abducted, it raised a troubling question. Why are educators, professors, judges and civil servants increasingly becoming victims of violence in Balochistan? The answer may reveal a deeper challenge facing the province’s institutions.
For years, terrorism in Balochistan has been viewed primarily through the lens of attacks on security forces and state installations. However, a growing number of attacks attributed to the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups suggest a broader pattern: the targeting of educators, civil servants, judges, religious figures, and other pillars of civilian life.
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.
Academics and Educators Under Attack
One of the most alarming recent incidents was the abduction of University of Gwadar Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, a distinguished Brahui scholar and recipient of Pakistan’s Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
Dr. Sabir was abducted alongside Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Syed Manzoor Ahmed, lecturer Dr. Muhammad Irshad, and their driver Hatim Badal while traveling in Balochistan.
The incident sent shockwaves through academic circles across the province.
Just days later, Professor Muhammad Khan, a respected academic, researcher, and prominent Brahui poet, was killed in Nushki.
Earlier in 2026, University of Kharan lecturer Dilawar Khan was also killed, adding to growing concerns about the safety of educators working in the province.
According to education sector figures frequently cited by officials and analysts, hundreds of teachers, professors, and education workers have lost their lives in targeted violence in Balochistan over the past two decades.
Civil Servants and Administrators Also in the Crosshairs
The violence has not been limited to academia.
Several senior government officials have also been targeted in recent years.
Among them was Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Hidayatullah Buledi, who was killed during an attack on an official residence.
Deputy Commissioner Zakir Baloch was also killed in a high-profile attack that drew widespread condemnation.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal was abducted and later killed after months in captivity.
Security analysts note that attacks on district administrators have a broader impact beyond the immediate loss of life, often disrupting governance and public service delivery in already vulnerable regions.
Attacks on Religious and Judicial Figures
Religious leaders have also increasingly become targets.
Among those killed were Mufti Shahmeer and Maulvi Sasoli, incidents that heightened concerns among local communities about growing insecurity.
The judiciary has likewise suffered significant losses.
Former Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice Noor Muhammad Meskanzai was assassinated, while Justice Mir Muhammad Nawaz Marri was also killed.
These attacks raised serious concerns about the security of judicial officials and the long-term implications for the rule of law in the province.
Beyond Casualties: The Erosion of Institutions
While each incident carries its own circumstances, analysts argue that the cumulative effect is the weakening of Balochistan’s institutional infrastructure.
A university vice chancellor is not merely an individual academic; he represents an entire educational institution.
A professor trains future generations of professionals.
A judge represents the rule of law.
A deputy commissioner serves as a key link between citizens and government.
A religious scholar often acts as a source of guidance and mediation within communities.
When such figures are removed through violence, the consequences extend beyond the immediate victims.
Universities lose leadership.
Students lose mentors.
Government departments lose experienced administrators.
Communities lose trusted voices.
A Challenge to Balochistan’s Future
The targeting of teachers, professors, judges, civil servants, and religious leaders has fueled concerns about what many observers describe as a gradual erosion of Balochistan’s intellectual, administrative, and social foundations.
Whether viewed through a security lens or a governance perspective, the long-term impact reaches far beyond individual attacks.
As violence continues to claim the lives of professionals and public servants, the central question remains: What happens to a society when the very people responsible for educating, governing, and guiding it become targets?
For many in Balochistan, the answer is increasingly clear.
The loss is not only measured in lives.
It is measured in weakened institutions, diminished public trust, and the gradual fraying of the civic fabric that holds society together.
