On April 20, 2025, an armed group invaded a home in the Ornach region of Khuzdar district, Balochistan, apparently in an attempt to abduct a young man. The attackers fired indiscriminately, but the man’s family effectively resisted, forcing the assailants to retreat. This incident is just one among many. Pakistan’s death squad is responsible for the deaths of thousands.
This death squad is none other than the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s intelligence agency, extensively backed and supported by the Pakistani Army, the Frontier Corps, and Military Intelligence (MI). Notably, many of these squads’ handlers possess a military background. They are primarily used to suppress dissent, target political activists, and address the ongoing Baloch insurgency.
Such incidents are not isolated, but rather part of a larger pattern of state-sponsored terrorism and collective punishment aimed at suppressing dissent by groups allegedly backed by the state, commonly referred to as “death squads.”
These squads have gained notoriety for committing egregious acts of violence against individuals who oppose the Government of Pakistan, functioning as a group of assassins operating globally, particularly known for their infamous “kill and dump” methods.
Balochistan is its playground
The region is bordered by Iran and Afghanistan on one side and Pakistan on the other. It comprises 40 percent of Pakistan’s territory, yet its population is just over 14 million out of a total of 241 million. This accounts for less than five percent of the overall population.
Based on preliminary data on Balochistan gathered by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), there have been 51 extra-judicial killings reported, bringing the total for the current year up to April 20 close to last year’s overall figure of 68 cases. In 2023, 75 individuals have been victims of extra-judicial killings, compared to 195 in 2022. Since 2004, more than 5000 civilian deaths in Balochistan remain ‘unattributed’, with a significant number believed to be the result of actions by security forces and their associated death squads. All mysteriously. Balochistan is now known as the land of the missing.
The Squad’s origin and composition
Death squads in Pakistan emerged in the early 2000s as a covert state tool to suppress Baloch separatism through violence. Their formal establishment occurred in 2006 under Musharraf’s regime, following the assassination of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a key tribal leader, which spurred increased insurgent activities in Balochistan.
These militias mainly comprised local criminals, drug traffickers, and pro-Pakistan Baloch politicians, receiving support from paramilitary groups like the Frontier Corps. The military also promoted religious education among local youth through seminaries linked to the armed forces. Many of these pro-Pakistan religious factions are connected to the Death Squads, which have since become integral to the security framework in Balochistan.
The inaugural death squad was formed in 2008 by Shafiq Mengal, who founded the Baloch Mussallah Diffa Tanzeem (BDM) militia with military support. The revelation of mass graves containing 169 severely mutilated bodies in Tootak, which served as the initial base for Mengal’s squad, serves as a chilling reminder of the atrocities perpetrated by such organizations throughout the years. Other notable squads include those led by Zakaria M. Hasni in Khuzdar, Deen Muhammad Deenu in Awaran, and units under the command of Samir Sabzal, Rashid Pathan, and Sardar Aziz in Kech, as well as Maqbool Shambezi in Panjgur and Siraj Raisani in Mastung, among others.
Are death squads exclusive to Balochistan?
Although prominently reported and extensively documented in Balochistan, similar instances of violent paramilitary or covert groups functioning with state support have also been observed in other areas, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan’s death squad is also targeting the the Pashtuns community. The ISI has played various roles in Afghanistan, including the creation of the Taliban. In the fight against militant organizations like the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan), there have been reports of death squad tactics being used to eliminate suspects without judicial proceedings, particularly in the tribal regions.
Impact of Squads’ operations
Pakistan’s death squads, operating as instruments of state terror, enjoy open protection and encouragement from the highest levels of government and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. Despite hollow denials by the Government and the Army, even senior officials like the serving Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfaraz Bugti, have brazenly endorsed genocidal policies, reportedly declaring that the systematic extermination of dissenters is the only path to “peace” and “prosperity” in Balochistan. This chilling rhetoric exposes the state’s willingness to annihilate its own citizens to maintain control.
These squads are not mere criminal gangs—they are ruthless enforcers of a campaign of terror, engaging in kidnappings, extortion, land grabs, drug trafficking, and the brutal suppression of all political opposition. Journalists, activists, and political leaders who dare to speak out are systematically hunted, tortured, and murdered, with over 70 members of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) falling victim to these death squads
Death squads do not stop at murder; they orchestrate armed rallies and violent counter-protests to intimidate Baloch demonstrators, disrupt political gatherings, and enforce a climate of fear. Acting as the paramilitary’s foot soldiers, they accompany security forces in violent raids, serving as both informants and executioners
Their depravity extends to the deliberate destruction of Baloch society: local sources accuse the Pakistan Army and its proxies of forcibly addicting children to drugs, weaponizing addiction to further destabilize communities and obliterate the future of Baloch youth
The existence and impunity of these death squads have shattered the rule of law in Balochistan, deepening social fractures and perpetuating a cycle of violence and state-sponsored terror. Rather than seeking peace, the Pakistani state has unleashed a reign of brutality that ensures only perpetual suffering and instability for the Baloch people
Balochi groups’ response to the death squads
Baloch nationalist organizations have consistently expressed their opposition to death squads through non-violent demonstrations and rallies. In sharp contrast, local insurgent factions such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) have actively confronted these pro-Pakistan militias with violent tactics.
One notable example is an operation by the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) in Barkhan district in September of 2024, where the BLF targeted these death squads and reportedly killed eleven personnel affiliated with them.
On April 20, 2025, the BLA took responsibility for the assassination of a prominent figure associated with a Pakistani military-backed death squad in Turbat, while also confiscating weapons in a separate operation in Mand.
Both the BLA and BLF explicitly characterize their actions as efforts to combat the militias that instill fear in the Baloch community and serve as proxies for the Pakistan Army in its attempts to stifle the Baloch independence movement.
Conclusion
The Pakistani government has unleashed a reign of terror by empowering death squads—merciless militias operating with state protection. These state-sanctioned criminals are actively supported, using their violent actions to suppress dissent and silence opposition to the regime. Their presence has entrenched a cycle of violence and fear, undermining any chances for peace, justice, or democratic governance in Balochistan and other troubled areas. Rather than restoring order, these death squads have become architects of chaos, perpetuating human rights violations and maintaining the state’s power through brutality and intimidation.
