Nine Passengers from Pakistan Punjab Executed in Balochistan After ID Check

Nine Passengers from Pakistan Punjab Executed in Balochistan After ID Check

Nine Bus Passengers from Punjab Shot Dead in Balochistan After Identity Check

Zhob (Balochistan), July 12, 2025 – In yet another deadly incident linked to the growing freedom movement in Pakistan’s volatile Balochistan province, nine passengers from Punjab were executed by armed gunmen after being forced off a bus and identified through national ID cards, believed to be Pakistan Military intelligence officer. The attack occurred late Friday night near the restive district of Zhob, marking a chilling repeat of past targeted killings.

According to Assistant Commissioner Naveed Alam, the victims were traveling from Quetta to Lahore when their bus was stopped on the national highway, and armed gunmen boarded the vehicle. After checking the identity cards of the passengers, the assailants forcibly removed nine men, confirmed them to be from Punjab province, and shot them dead by the roadside.

Coordinated Strikes Overnight Across Balochistan

The Zhob execution was part of a broader series of  strikes across the province, as reported by local media. Other coordinated attacks during the same night targeted:

• Security checkposts
• Police stations
• Local bank branches
• Mobile communication towers

These attacks are believed to have been orchestrated by Baloch separatist groups, who have been intensifying their operations over the past year, targeting Pakistani security forces, ethnic Punjabis, and infrastructure projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and for their struggle of freedom.

Historical Pattern of Targeted Killings

Friday’s brutal attack mirrors previous atrocities carried out by Baloch insurgents:

• In February 2025, seven passengers from Punjab were executed in Barkhan, also after ID verification.
• In March 2025, five workers linked to freight transport for the Gwadar Port were gunned down in Kalmat.

These attacks are often ethnically motivated, with Baloch separatists accusing the Punjab-dominated federal government of economic exploitation and cultural suppression.

A Region on the Brink

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, borders both Iran and Afghanistan, and has been the epicenter of a low-intensity separatist insurgency for over two decades. The people are angry with the government and wants complete independence from Pakistan. The province holds strategic importance due to:

• Its vast natural resources
• Key trade routes tied to CPEC
• The critical Gwadar deep-sea port

Yet, it remains plagued by underdevelopment, lack of representation, and human rights abuses. The rise in targeted violence suggests a growing rift between the central government and local nationalist groups, who demand independence.

Government Response

The Interior Ministry of Pakistan strongly condemned the killings and has launched an investigation into the incident. Additional security has been deployed along the Quetta-Lahore highway, and search operations are ongoing in and around Zhob to track down the perpetrators.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated:

“This act of brutality will not go unpunished. We mourn the lives lost and stand with the families of the victims. Justice will be delivered.”