Awaran, a district in southern Balochistan, has become the latest battleground in Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to suppress the Baloch independence movement. Located in a remote and rugged terrain, Awaran has long been a stronghold of Baloch nationalists resisting Pakistan’s military occupation. However, in recent years, the Pakistani Army has transformed this strategically significant region into a base for state-backed death squads—armed groups used to carry out extrajudicial killings, abductions, and other forms of terror against the local population.
This shift in strategy underscores the Pakistani military’s desperation. Unable to fully control Awaran through conventional means, the Army has increasingly outsourced its repression to paramilitary militias, which operate with impunity under state protection. The surge in death squad activity represents a grave escalation in Pakistan’s campaign to silence Baloch aspirations for freedom and self-determination.
The Rise of Death Squads in Balochistan
The use of death squads is not a new phenomenon in Balochistan. Since the early 2000s, the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies have relied on these armed groups to counter the growing resistance movement. Comprising state-sponsored militias, criminal elements, and pro-government tribal leaders, these squads have been responsible for thousands of enforced disappearances, targeted assassinations, and mass killings.
One of the most infamous incidents linked to these groups occurred in 2014, when mass graves containing the bodies of 167 people were discovered in Tootak, Khuzdar. Many of the victims were believed to be Baloch political activists and students who had been abducted and killed by death squads operating with the military’s backing. Similar tactics have been used in other regions, including Dera Bugti, Kohlu, and Panjgur, where state-sponsored militias have been deployed to crush resistance and terrorize civilians.
The Need for a Strategic Counteroffensive
The consequences of this strategy have been devastating. In the past six months alone, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has lost over seven Sarmachars (freedom fighters) in Awaran, all targeted and killed by the notorious death squad led by Aurangzaib. These losses underscore the growing threat posed by such groups and highlight the urgency of a decisive response. The intensification of violence in Awaran demands a recalibrated approach from Baloch resistance groups. Unlike conventional military operations, these state-backed death squads operate with impunity, blending into the local population while carrying out assassinations, abductions, and extrajudicial killings. Defeating them requires not only military action but also a broader strategy to expose their crimes and erode their support base.
Awaran’s transformation into a hub for death squads is not just a local issue; it is part of Pakistan’s larger policy of suppressing Baloch aspirations for self-determination. By using proxy forces, the state seeks to create confusion, mistrust, and fear within the region, weakening the resistance from within. However, history has shown that such tactics ultimately fail to crush movements rooted in genuine grievances and aspirations for freedom.
