Mastung Attack Kills Sessions Judge and Guard, Another Judge Injured

A district and sessions judge and his security guard were killed on Thursday after armed men attacked vehicles travelling from Quetta toward Mastung, officials said, in another deadly incident that has deepened concern over security conditions in Balochistan. The attack took place near Wali Khan crossing as judicial officers were on their way to Mastung.

The deceased judge was identified as District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar, while his guard also died at the scene. Another judicial officer, Additional Sessions Judge Tariq Lashari, was among two people injured in the attack and was shifted to hospital for treatment.

According to Balochistan Home Department aide Babar Yousafzai, Judge Kakar and Judge Lashari were travelling from Quetta when unknown armed men targeted the vehicles carrying them. Officials said the firing was intense enough to kill the judge and his guard instantly, while the injured were moved to Mastung for emergency medical care.

The attack has raised alarm because it targeted members of the judiciary, a key institution already operating under pressure in areas affected by militancy and organised violence. Security officials are expected to examine whether the incident was part of the recent pattern of attacks in Mastung and surrounding areas or a targeted assault on judicial personnel.

The latest violence came just one day after three people were killed and five injured when attackers opened fire on a Karachi-bound passenger bus in Mastung’s Khud Kocha area. In the same belt, a bridge on the national highway was also blown up, forcing authorities to impose an indefinite curfew in Khud Kocha from Wednesday night.

The area has witnessed a sharp rise in security incidents over recent days. Earlier this week, security forces carried out operations in Mastung and Surab, where the military said several suspected militants were killed, while two alleged female suicide bombers and a facilitator were apprehended during intelligence-based actions.

Balochistan has been facing a renewed wave of militant violence, with attacks targeting security personnel, transport routes, public infrastructure and civilians. The province’s long distances, mountainous terrain and scattered settlements make surveillance and rapid response difficult, especially when attackers target moving vehicles or remote highway points.

For Pakistan, the killing of a sessions judge carries serious implications for law, order and institutional confidence. If judicial officers, police, transporters and ordinary travellers feel unsafe on major routes, the province’s justice system, public mobility, trade movement and governance capacity all come under pressure.

The immediate priority for authorities will be to secure the affected route, trace the attackers and determine whether the assault was connected to other recent incidents in Mastung. Investigators are expected to collect evidence from the scene, record witness accounts and coordinate with security agencies as Balochistan continues to face an expanding security challenge.