October 7, 2025
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
Lawyers across Balochistan have demanded the immediate and safe recovery of Judge Muhammad Jan, who was abducted by unidentified gunmen during a brazen attack on a court in Kharan district on October 6. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping as law enforcement agencies continue search operations.
The armed assailants attacked the Qazi (magistrate) court in Tehsil Muskan Kalat of Kharan district, setting fire to the court building and offices before forcibly abducting Judge Muhammad Jan. The attackers also seized a vehicle belonging to a lawyer present at the court. Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following the incident.
Lawyers boycott courts in protest
Speaking to Voicepk, Kech District Bar Association President Majeed Shah said lawyers boycotted courts to condemn the judge’s kidnapping in broad daylight. The lawyers criticised the provincial government for the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan.
“A score of gunmen on motorcycles ransacked the court buildings and abducted the judge of the Qazi court in Muskan Kalat tehsil,” Shah said. He noted that a few police officials deployed at the tehsil court building were unable to resist the gunmen.
“If judges and courts are not safe from attacks by militants, how can the government protect common people?” Shah questioned. He added that bar associations across Balochistan have condemned the incident and held the provincial government responsible for the lack of security and protection for judicial staff.
Bar association demands action
The District Bar Association Kech in Turbat strongly condemned the brutal attack, noting that all official records and legal documents were set ablaze during the incident.
According to reports, more than ten armed men stormed the premises around noon, forcibly abducted Qazi Muhammad Jan, and took him away in their vehicles. The assailants also snatched the personal car of Senior Advocate Salam Shah before fleeing. Police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and initiated an investigation upon receiving information.
“The District Bar Association Kech Turbat considers this incident a serious assault on the dignity of the judiciary and the sanctity of law. Such acts are intolerable in a civilized society and pose a grave threat to the rule of law and justice in the region,” a spokesperson said.
The Kech Bar Association has called upon the Government of Balochistan, the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, the Inspector General of Police, and all relevant authorities to immediately arrest the culprits, ensure the safe recovery of Qazi Muhammad Jan, and take effective measures for the security of judges and lawyers across the province.
“Failing prompt and meaningful action, the District Bar Association Kech Turbat will be compelled to announce a strong course of action in protest,” the spokesperson warned.
Third kidnapping this year
Fareed Ahmad, regional coordinator at the office of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in Quetta, told Voicepk that no group has claimed responsibility for the judge’s kidnapping. The Qazi courts operate in the tribal areas of Balochistan for adjudication of civil disputes.
This marks the third kidnapping of senior government officials in Balochistan this year. In August, armed men kidnapped the assistant commissioner of Ziarat district, Muhammad Afzal Baqi, and his son while they were on a family picnic in the Zezri area. The gunmen stopped their vehicle at gunpoint, ordered everyone to abandon it, and set it on fire. They released Baqi’s gunman, driver, and other family members but took the official and his son to an unknown location.
In June, Tump assistant commissioner Muhammad Hanif Noorzai was abducted from Balochistan’s Kech district. Noorzai, who was posted at Tump near the Iranian border, was released by his captors three months later. The banned Balochistan Liberation Front had claimed responsibility for that kidnapping.