Pakistan's security forces are allegedly conducting extrajudicial killings in Balochistan to conceal military setbacks, according to an analysis published in Eurasia Review by retired Indian Army officer Nilesh Kunwar. The report comes amid what observers describe as one of the bloodiest periods in the region, following a wave of attacks by Baloch armed groups that began on 5 July.

Surge in Violence Since July 5

Dozens of Pakistani army and security personnel have been killed in a series of coordinated strikes by Baloch armed groups since 5 July, according to the report. Local media, citing security force statements, has reported the killing of over 100 Baloch fighters in the same period — with 64 of those deaths attributed to 'Operation Shaban', launched specifically against Baloch freedom fighters.

Questions Over Pakistan Army's Surveillance Claims

Kunwar raised pointed questions about the credibility of the Pakistani military's claimed kill count. He argued that if the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had taken standard precautionary measures after 5 July — relocating from bases, dispersing into smaller units, and concealing positions from aerial and ground surveillance — then the army's claim of precisely locating and eliminating 64 fighters within days would imply extraordinary intelligence capabilities.

'As such, if the Pakistan army could still accurately identify the latest locations where Baloch fighters had taken refuge and eliminate 64 of them in just a matter of days as it claims, then it's evident that they possess extraordinary surveillance capabilities,' Kunwar wrote. He then asked why, if those capabilities existed, the army had not launched Operation Shaban earlier to prevent loss of life rather than acting only after a major incident.

Field Marshal Munir's 'Soon' Under Scrutiny

The analysis also revisited a remark by Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, who stated in April 2025 that 'we will soon beat hell out of them' — referring to Baloch sarmachars (fighters). Kunwar noted that more than a year has since passed, yet armed Baloch groups continue to block highways, temporarily seize locations, and strike security forces with reported impunity. 'How long will the Field Marshal's 'soon' take?' he asked.

A 'Dubious Record' of Extrajudicial Killings

Kunwar described the Pakistan army as having a 'dubious record' of carrying out extrajudicial killings and labelling those killed as terrorists in order to mask operational failures — and cited an on-record admission to support the claim. He referenced remarks made by the then Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing, during a media interaction in April 2019. The official had acknowledged the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, saying: 'We don't wish that anyone should be missing. But when it is war, you have to do a lot of [unpleasant] things — as they say, all is fair in love and war; war is very ruthless.'

Kunwar cited this as evidence that the practice is not an unsubstantiated allegation but one that has been tacitly acknowledged by Pakistani military officials themselves.

Accountability Vacuum and the Baloch People

The analysis concluded with a sharp assessment of accountability — or the lack thereof. 'As dead men don't talk and ISPR is adept in spinning yarns, it's impossible to say for sure as to how many of the more-than-one-hundred killed by the Pakistani security forces in Balochistan are actually BLA fighters,' Kunwar wrote. He described the Baloch people as 'a forsaken lot,' arguing that a complete absence of external accountability has given the Pakistan army unchecked latitude in the region. The situation in Balochistan remains volatile, with no sign of a negotiated resolution on the horizon.