KALAT / QUETTA — July 2025:
Three people were killed and seven others injured when a passenger bus traveling from Karachi to Quetta was ambushed and fired upon in Balochistan’s Kalat district, in the Nemargh area, according to provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind.
“This tragic incident claimed three innocent lives and left seven injured,” Rind said. The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Kalat, where a state of emergency has been imposed. Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
“Initial information suggests the attackers were lying in ambush. They stopped the bus and opened fire from both sides of the road,” Rind told Geo News. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has sought an urgent report from law enforcement agencies.
The attack has been condemned across the political spectrum.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi labeled the shooting as a “cowardly act” by Fitna-Al-Hindustan — the government’s term for Indian-backed terrorist groups operating in Balochistan. “These terrorists are targeting soft targets to sabotage peace. We will foil these conspiracies with national unity,” he declared.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called the targeting of civilians “barbaric,” while PPP leaders, including Senator Sherry Rehman and MNA Shazia Marri, demanded decisive action and warned against leniency for such elements. “These acts violate Baloch traditions and must be crushed with firm resolve,” Marri stated.
Wave of Targeted Killings Escalates
This attack follows a similarly horrific incident just a week prior in the Sur-Dakai area, on the border of Zhob and Loralai districts, where nine passengers were abducted and executed by unidentified gunmen. Two Punjab-bound coaches were intercepted, and assailants selectively offloaded passengers after checking their national identity cards. All victims hailed from Punjab.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility, stating it had deliberately blocked the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri to carry out the killings. Eyewitnesses reported hearing gunfire shortly after the abduction, and survivors recounted the chilling methodical nature of the attack.
Background: Pattern of Ethnic Targeting
The two incidents are part of a broader surge in violence across Balochistan, particularly targeting non-Baloch civilians:
- February 2024: Seven Punjab-bound passengers were executed in Barkhan.
- March 2024: Armed men killed five travelers in Gwadar and torched urea-laden trucks in Tajaban.
- April 2024: Nine people killed near Noshki; two Punjabi laborers shot in Kech.
- May 2023: Seven Punjabi barbers shot dead near Gwadar.
- August 2023: 23 civilians were pulled off buses and executed in Musakhail — one of the deadliest such incidents.
The government officially designated all such militant groups in Balochistan under the label Fitna-Al-Hindustan in May 2024, citing evidence of foreign — particularly Indian — sponsorship.
Growing Urgency for Action
With attacks increasing in frequency and brutality, calls are intensifying for a more robust and coordinated response. Political leaders emphasize that the targeting of innocent travelers, especially based on ethnicity, is not just a security issue but a national emergency. Security forces remain engaged in operations across the province, but the latest incidents underline the need for long-term solutions addressing both militancy and regional grievances.
