5 hours ago
Last Updated:May 24, 2025, 17:24 IST
Abdul Latif, known for documenting disappearances and military abuses in Balochistan, was shot dead in Awaran.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee released the photo of Abdul Latif who was gunned down by Pakistan Army-linked militants earlier this month. (IMAGE: Baloch Yakjehti Committee)
A journalist belonging to the Baloch community was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday in conflict-ridden Awaran district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The journalist named Abdul Latif, who worked with Daily Intikhab and Aaj News, was a known and respected voice among the people of Balochistan and revered for his work. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee said in a statement that Latif was killed before his wife and children.
Baloch local news media outlets and Baloch rights groups said that the attackers were part of a Pakistan Army-linked militia operating in the region. They also said that Latif earned the ire of the state because of his reporting and documentation of disappearances, military excesses and civil resistance in Balochistan.
Pakistan’s security forces are battling a growing insurgency in Balochistan, an impoverished province that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
Rights groups say the protests and demands for better life has been countered with a severe crackdown that has swept up innocent people.
A dozen UN experts called on Pakistan last month to immediately release Baloch rights advocates, including Mahrang Baloch and to end the repression of their peaceful protests.
For two decades, members of the Baloch minority have denounced extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Balochistan — Pakistan’s most resource-rich province, where 70 percent of inhabitants are poor.
Pakistani authorities say the accusations are unfounded.
Insurgents in Balochistan accuse outsiders of plundering the province’s natural resources and launched a dramatic train siege in March, during which officials said about 60 people were killed.
Latif’s killing is being seen as part of Pakistan’s alleged ‘kill and dump’ campaign targeting journalists, activists and intellectuals in the troubled province.
The tragedy follows a personal loss earlier this year. In February 2025, four of Latif’s relatives—including his son Saif Baloch—were reportedly abducted and killed. Their deaths remain unacknowledged by authorities and have not been formally investigated, fuelling concerns that entire families are being systematically targeted.
Rights groups and members of the Baloch diaspora have condemned the murder, urging international intervention. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee called on the United Nations and global media watchdogs to take notice and hold Pakistan accountable, describing the killings as “crimes against humanity."
Location :Islamabad, Pakistan
First Published:News world Pakistan Army-Linked Militants Kill Baloch Journalist In Front Of His Wife, Kids: Report
