The assassination of District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar in Mastung was not merely another act of terrorism. It was a calculated attack by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistan’s judiciary. The objective extended far beyond the killing of a judge. It was meant to intimidate the judicial system, undermine the writ of the state and send a message that anyone enforcing the law can become a target.

The attack did not take place in isolation. It came after a series of terrorist incidents across Balochistan that point to a deliberate strategy of spreading fear and instability. Five labourers were murdered in Mashkail, Washuk district. Three passengers were killed when terrorists opened fire on a bus in Khad Kocha. Earlier, a woman lost her life after gunmen attacked a civilian vehicle. Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his bodyguard have now joined the long list of victims of a campaign designed to make violence appear........

© Daily Times