June 14, 2025
By Xari Jalil
In a recent in depth report compiled by the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB), a prominent rights watchdog revolving around issues in the province in particular – the family of Awaran journalist Latif Baloch (Lala) have have squarely blamed the Pakistani state and military for his murder, accusing them of carrying out the killing through “state-backed death squads.”
This assertion stands in stark contrast to the government and police’s claim of an ongoing investigation into the killing by “unknown actors,” with the motive remaining unclear. Notably, according to the report details, the Cantonment of the Frontier Corps (FC) in Nali, Mashkay, is reportedly a mere 20-30 minute walk from the crime scene. Meanwhile the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also called for an immediate investigation, highlighting that the Balochistan Police Inspector General, Moazzam Jah Ansari, did not respond to their request for comment.
Abdul Latif Baloch, a veteran journalist and the bureau chief of Daily Intekhab was based in Mashkay in Awaran, and was assassinated in his home in Mahwar area on May 24, 2025.
According to his family, four masked gunmen raided their home around 4 a.m. and shot him dead while he was sleeping. They said that the attackers had used Kalashnikovs, with four bullets reportedly causing his death.
A history of persecution and threats
The HRCB report, compiled in June, details a long history of state persecution against Latif Baloch and his family. Born on January 1, 1973, in Mihwaar, Mashkay, Abdul Latif Baloch, known locally as ‘Lala’ Latif, was a senior journalist who served Daily Intekhab for 30 years and contributed to several other prominent media outlets. His critical reporting on social and political issues, education, local economic challenges, and bad governance, particularly the atrocities and human rights violations in Balochistan, made him a frequent target of the Pakistani military.
Latif Baloch had been abducted twice by security forces. His first enforced disappearance was in September 2016, when he was invited to a military camp in Gajjar, Mashkay, under the pretext of reporting news – he did not return home that day. He was detained and disappeared for over a year. Upon his release, he confided in his family and friends that the military had brutally tortured him, using various tools and methods that caused severe mobility challenges and eye damage, requiring surgery. He was pressured to become an informer against Baloch political and human rights activists and insurgents. His second abduction occurred on March 9, 2018, from his home, though he was released after four days.
Following these abductions, Latif Baloch faced constant harassment and threats via phone calls, summons to military camps, and demands to report his daily routines. These threats extended to his family, who were pressured to provide details of their social activities, despite internet services being shut down in Mashkay since 2016 and phone networks rarely working.
Family targeted
The report’s findings also reveal a pattern of severe persecution against Latif Baloch’s family.
On February 28, 2025, ten of Latif Baloch’s family members, including his son Saif Baloch, were abducted during a raid on their Mashkay home. Seven of these individuals, including Saif, were extrajudicially killed on March 26, 2025, with their bullet-riddled bodies dumped in a remote area. Human rights advocate Sammi Deen Baloch stated that families were initially told by an army officer at the Mashkay Nali Army Camp that the abducted individuals were in custody and would be released. However, four bodies were discovered days later, with three family members still missing.
Earlier, Latif Baloch’s youngest brother, Khalid Naveed, was abducted on March 13, 2018, from Bela City and released on January 19, 2019, after months of enforced disappearance. His brother, Rashid Ali Baloch, a peaceful political activist affiliated with the Baloch National Movement (BNM), was abducted on August 7, 2011, and his tortured body was found two months later in October 2011.
Reasons for the Extrajudicial Killing
The HRCB report suggests three primary reasons for Latif Baloch’s abduction and murder:
- His journalism Latif Baloch’s reporting was being prevented, especially on human rights violations and foreign investments (like CPEC) in militarized regions like Gwadar, where transparency is severely lacking.
- Forced informant There were attempts made by the military to force him to work as an informer against Baloch political and human rights activists, and insurgents. His journalistic role and kinship with prominent Baloch figures from Mashkay, including Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch (chief of BLF) and Dr. Naseem Baloch (chairman of BNM and Latif’s cousin), made him a target for recruitment.
- Pressure on political family members The killing is believed to be a tactic to pressure family members involved in politics, particularly Dr. Naseem Baloch, who advocates for self-determination for Balochistan. The military reportedly tortured Latif and interrogated him about Dr. Naseem, aiming to blackmail him by making his family suffer.
Militarization of Mashkay
Mashkay, Latif Baloch’s home region, is heavily militarized due to the ongoing conflict between the Baloch people and the Pakistani state. Thousands of military personnel are deployed, and checkpoints constantly monitor residents, often even peering into houses according to reports. Strict rules are imposed, requiring residents to obtain army approval for even basic activities like visiting nearby villages or attending weddings and funerals. Males aged 12 and above are regularly summoned for interrogation, facing abduction if they comply and fear of persecution if they don’t. In 2016, a “Mashkay Aman Card” was introduced, requiring residents to register guests with the military. Public schools, including the only inter-college, have been occupied and converted into military camps, severely disrupting education.
Calls for justice
Journalist unions have strongly condemned Latif Baloch’s killing. The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) stated that his murder is “part of ongoing efforts to silence independent voices” and demanded a high-level investigation, expressing serious concerns about the safety of journalists in Balochistan. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the “brutal killing” as a “senseless act of violence” and called for immediate action to investigate the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice, also condemning the threats he received prior to his murder.
Daily Intekhab, the newspaper Latif Baloch worked for, has also faced constant state crackdowns due to its reporting on human rights violations and civil society protests, including those by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The government has reportedly ordered newspapers not to cover such events and has blocked advertisements for media outlets that do.
The HRCB, which has been tracking state crackdowns on Latif Baloch and his family since 2016, firmly believes that the Pakistani state is responsible for his murder, carried out by its security forces through state-backed death squads. The organization had been aware of Latif’s constant threats and his attempts to leave the country for his safety just days before his assassination.