For years, Pakistan has dismissed allegations of human rights abuses in the restive Balochistan province as "foreign propaganda." But on the ground, the reality is bloodier, and far harder to ignore. Locals, activists and international observers point to a chilling pattern of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and targeted assassinations, allegedly carried out by shadowy “death squads” backed by the Pakistan Army and ISI. These proxy groups operate with impunity, silencing dissent and spreading fear across the restive province. As global attention shifts elsewhere, Pakistan’s dirty war in Balochistan rages on, hidden in plain sight.
What are “Death Squads”?
The term “death squads” refers to irregular armed groups that operate in Balochistan with the backing of the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency, the ISI. These groups are often made up of criminals, surrendered militants, or local tribal proxies.
They are widely believed to carry out extrajudicial killings of Baloch activists, students, writers, and anyone suspected of supporting the Baloch independence movement. Victims are often kidnapped, tortured, and later found dead, with mutilated bodies dumped days or weeks later -- a brutal tactic known locally as “kill and dump.”
These squads also exploit tribal and community rivalries, targeting specific settlements to sow internal divisions within Baloch society. By using non-uniformed actors, the military creates plausible deniability for these violent actions.
Death squads have no legal status and operate entirely outside Pakistan’s constitution and formal military chain of command. Their very purpose is to suppress dissent while shielding the state from blame -- a tool used to maintain control in a region that continues to demand rights, justice, and autonomy.
How are they connected to Pak Army?
The Pakistan Army, particularly the ISI and Frontier Corps (FC), has long relied on proxy fighters to control Balochistan. These so-called death squads are not rogue elements -- they operate with direct or indirect support from the state.
According to multiple reports from Baloch human rights groups, former squad members, and international watchdogs, the FC provides these squads with logistical support, including weapons, vehicles, and safe houses. In many cases, target lists are prepared by military officers and passed on for execution.
These groups are paid, protected from prosecution, and allowed to operate freely in exchange for enforcing the state’s control through fear and violence. Sometimes, they even work alongside the army, cleaning up after raids or threatening anyone who dares to speak out.
Even some former Pakistani officials, in private conversations, have admitted to the existence of these squads, calling them a “necessary evil” to stop separatism. But in reality, their presence exposes the army’s inability to win over Balochistan through democratic means or dialogue.
The human cost
Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement, reported on Monday that 785 people have been forcibly disappeared and 121 killed without trial in Balochistan so far in 2025. The group blamed these actions on Pakistani security forces and state-backed death squads. According to the report, an average of four people go missing and one is killed every day in the province.
Targeted killings of activists like Karima Baloch (found dead in Canada under mysterious circumstances) have been linked to Pakistan's covert arms. Students and children have been abducted, some never heard from again. Entire villages have been depopulated due to military-led operations followed by death squad intimidation.
Pakistan’s use of death squads in Balochistan goes beyond killings; it’s a strategy to divide and weaken the resistance. The ISI is believed to fuel tribal rivalries, back criminal gangs posing as Baloch fighters, and spread the idea that militants are turning on each other. This helps Islamabad avoid global scrutiny, deny its own role by blaming local disputes, and continue exploiting the province’s rich resources without facing united opposition.
Despite decades of human rights abuses, there’s deafening silence from most Western powers, many of whom see Pakistan as a strategic partner in the region. India has occasionally raised the issue, but global institutions like the UN Human Rights Council and Amnesty International have failed to apply sustained pressure.
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