AN EXISTENTIAL REPRESSION
An existential repression
As Pashtuns and Balochis face renewed waves of brutality and ‘disappearances’, Yvonne Gill charts the abuses and reflects on how the cycle of violence might be reversed
The sharply deteriorated human rights situation in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions paints a grim picture of targeted killings, enforced disappearances, large-scale armed conflict and state-backed abuses by the Pakistani military and its proxies. Although the brutal cycle of repression and violence against Pashtun and Baloch population has been one of South Asia’s worst unresolved human rights crises, the recent escalation clearly depicts Islamabad’s overt contempt for civil liberties and international opinion.
The Pashtun and Baloch communities have long struggled for autonomy, dignity, and meaningful representation within Pakistan’s federal framework. The Balochis inhabit Pakistan’s most resource-rich province, but live in poverty and deprivation. For decades, they have been subjected to military operations, political disenfranchisement and economic neglect. Meanwhile, on the western borderlands, Pashtun in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have faced cycles of violence connected to Islamabad’s security operations and border dispute with Afghanistan that hark back to the days of British India.
It is a history rife with mutual suspicion, failed promises of devolution of power and grievances over the extraction of local resources, without any investment in education, healthcare or infrastructure in the regions. Nature’s bounty in the regions, especially Balochistan, have funded the development of Punjab and Sindh and lined the pockets of consecutive rulers in Islamabad, the frail political seat of power, and Rawalpindi, where the all-powerful Pakistan military has its headquarters.
For both Balochis and Pashtuns, their collective memory has been marked by violence and repression of villages razed, tribal elders assassinated, human rights defenders silenced and entire communities branded as ‘terrorists’ by the state.Recent months, in particular, have seen an alarming escalation in the violence and repression.
According to the Conflict Location Event Data (ACLED), with over 2,500 casualties reported as of October, mostly from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,2025 is likely to become Pakistan’s deadliest year in almost a decade. The frequency and severity of attacks by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and armed Baloch groups have also increased, while retaliatory and indiscriminate military operations conducted by Pakistani forces is the order of day. Often the victims are innocent civilians.
Baloch human rights organisations have documented 33 extra judicial killings and 84 forced disappearances in Balochistan in June this year alone. The victims included students, poets, farmers and activists, who were targeted simply for voicing dissent or demanding basic human rights. Testimonies compiled by activists allege systematic abductions, torture and executions perpetrated by the Pakistani Army, Frontier Corps, Counter Terrorism Departmentand state-sponsored death squads. As many as 32 individuals were reportedly subjected to brutal physical and mental abuse.
Baloch human rights organisations have documented 33 extrajudicial killings and 84 forced disappearances in June this year alone
For Pashtuns, the crackdown has been equally brutal, if not more. Reports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa point to large-scale military crackdowns, resulting in civilian casualties, arbitrary detentions, and severe restrictions on movement of activists. Entire villages have been evacuated. Local tribal elders face threats of assassination for opposing government narratives or supporting human rights movements. Pakistan’s military establishment has a long history of using Islamist militants to suppress and disrupt both nationalist movements and civil resistance, blurring the line between counter terrorism operation and outright repression.
While openly denying its direct involvement in abuses, Islamabad’s military establishment deploys paramilitary groups and intelligence-backed networks to enforce order, stifle dissent, and conduct covert operations. Activists have often reported that ‘disappearances’, followed by the later discovery of mutilated bodies, are one of the tactics used to instil fear and enforce obedience.
Reports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa point to large-scale military crackdowns
Recently, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, labelled separatist violence as ‘terrorism’ and said decisive action would be taken to cleanse Balochistan of the‘menace’. Such rhetoric has often been used to justify the deployment of disproportionate and indiscriminate military force. The clandestine involvement of intelligence agencies and state-backed Islamic militias makes it possible to systematically target intellectuals, civil rights activists, journalists, teachers and even students.
Attempts by Islamabad to blame foreign involvement – particularly alleging Indian support for Baloch insurgents – is another of Islamabad’s ploys to whip up anti-India sentiment, egging mid-level officers to engage in more violent crackdowns and reluctance to engage in dialogue. Such accusations also shift focus away from the genuine grievances underlying both Baloch and Pashtun demands for social and economic justice.
International condemnation of these abuses has been muted. While organisations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and UN officials have periodically criticized Islamabad for resorting to torture, arbitrary detention and collective punishment, the strategic importance of Pakistan often makes the West shy away from imposing meaningful sanctions, not to speak of initiating physical interventions. Pakistani civil society organisations struggle to operate amidst threats from both state and non-state actors.
On the domestic front, movements led by activists such as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and Baloch students’ organizations continue to mobilise and agitate for justice. But these efforts are frequently met with bans, arrests, or violent suppression. The Pakistani judiciary, too, has proven toothless or unwilling to enforce the law and accountability. Cases of forced disappearance and torture rarely end in conviction. The hapless families keep on searching for their missing loved ones in vain.
International condemnation of these abuses has been muted
Geopolitical dimension
Complicating the human rights picture is the recent escalation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In October, Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, supposedly targeting Taliban and TTP militants. This led to direct retaliation by Afghan forces. The clashes in Spin Boldak District left at least 12 Afghan civilian deaths, over 100 wounded, and several military posts destroyed. Pakistani officials reported their own casualties and accused Afghan authorities of sheltering anti-Pakistan militants. The border conflict’s civilian toll has amplified the suffering of Pashtun communities who have for centuries straddled the porous borders, making them even more vulnerable to crossfire while hindering humanitarian aid.
Silencing dissent
Journalists and human rights defenders investigating Balochistan and Pashtun issues routinely face intimidation, threats and violence. Human Rights Watch reports underline that it is not just censorship, but direct attacks on reporters and community leaders, as well as the targeting of academic figures that make their involvement in campaigns a dangerous choice. Social media activists have been subject to digital surveillance and arbitrary prosecution under Pakistan’s sweeping media laws.
There are numerous instances of journalists and academics receiving threatening calls or visits from Pakistani intelligence operatives, warning them against reporting the conflict or criticising the military. Some have even been forced into exile, while others have stopped writing or speaking out for fear of reprisal. In effect, this impedes the flow of independent information and public debate, allowing state-centric narratives to dominate, which further breeds alienation among victimised communities.
For ordinary citizens in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the repression is not just political – it is deeply existential. Families live in fear, education and economic opportunities are systematically denied, and basic human dignity is routinely violated. Thousands have fled conflict zones, seeking refuge in urban centres or abroad, resulting in misplaced populations and a loss of local identity.
The deeply embedded violence has also eroded traditional structures of governance, with tribal and community leaders either co-opted by the establishment or eliminated, and the youth are increasingly becoming radicalised in desperation or out of resentment. Humanitarian agencies report difficulties accessing the most affected areas as permission is often withheld by authorities,who are always suspicious of outside influence or want to cover up their misdemeanours.
The continued repression of Pashtun and Baloch populations in Pakistan, enabled by military operations and state-backed proxies, has produced a humanitarian and human rights crisis that demands urgent attention. The latest data from 2025 reveals not merely an escalation in violence but also the systemic nature of abuses – extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture, and silencing of dissent. And all this is being carried out under the guise of ‘counterterrorism’ or preserving ‘national integrity’.
Neither strategic rhetoric nor accusations of foreign conspiracy can obscure the real suffering of two of Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities. Only genuine dialogue, transparency, accountability and peaceful redress can reverse a cycle that threatens not just these marginalised populations, but the fabric of Pakistan’s fragile nationhood. Until then, the violence will continue to claim lives, one unmarked grave, one silenced voice at a time.
YS Gill is a political analyst