Mastung judge’s martyrdom signals BYC’s expanding terror campaign from targeting LEAs to civilians

MASTUNG, Jul 23 (APP): The martyrdom of Session Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his bodyguard in Mastung signals a dangerous shift in Balochistan as after failing to break law enforcement agencies, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its associate terrorist outfits have now turned their attacks on civilians and state institutions.

This tragic attack reflects a calculated shift in strategy to instil widespread fear and destabilize public administration across Balochistan.

For months, state law enforcement agencies successfully stood as a wall against anti-state elements.

In response, these terrorist networks—operating under the cover of the BYC—have expanded their scope of violence to soft targets, unarmed citizens, and judicial officers in a desperate bid to create chaos.

The attack comes as part of a sudden wave of violence deliberately directed at non-military, civilian targets, including the targeted killing of Session Judge Kakar, five innocent laborers in Mashkel and bus passengers in Khadkocha.

This shift toward targeting civilian institutions reached a breaking point following the June 22, 2026, sentencing of BYC chief Mahrang Lango by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta.

Unable to confront law enforcement directly on the ground, the leadership turned its sights on the court system.

On the day of the verdict, Sammi Deen, a close associate of Mahrang, issued a provocative statement via social media explicitly inciting hostility against judges.

The martyrdom of Justice Kakar occurred exactly one month after Sammi Deen’s statement, confirming warnings from local observers that the BYC’s rhetoric serves as a direct operational signal for the BLA and affiliated terrorist outfits to execute attacks against soft targets.

Having lost the ground against resilient law enforcement forces, these terrorist elements and their political facilitators are now demonstrating that they recognize no distinction regarding religion, humanity, or ethnicity.

By targeting judges, unarmed laborers, women, and bus passengers, their sole remaining objective is to disrupt daily life, halt regional development, and serve external handlers by attacking the very fabric of civilian society in Balochistan.