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June 14, 2025 – Pakistan –
Veteran journalist Abdul Latif Baloch was shot dead in the early hours inside his home in Mashkay Tehsil, Awaran district, Balochistan, Pakistan, in front of his wife and children. Four armed assailants forcibly entered his residence and fired four shots when he resisted abduction.
Human rights groups, including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists, have strongly condemned the killing. They assert the attackers belonged to a state-supported militia tied to the Pakistani military, describing the killing as part of a deadly “kill and dump” campaign targeting journalists, activists, and intellectuals in the region .
Latif was widely respected for his fearless coverage of enforced disappearances, military crackdowns, human rights abuses, and resistance movements in Balochistan. He contributed to Daily Intekhab, AAJ News, and ARY News.
The killing follows a brutal precedent: his eldest son, Saif Baloch, and three other relatives were forcibly disappeared and killed in February 2025. This personal tragedy underscores the ongoing pattern of violence aimed at suppressing independent voices.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee—a local human rights advocacy group—condemned the assassination, labeling it a terror tactic meant to silence those documenting state abuses . The group and others accuse Pakistani authorities of operating paramilitary death squads to intimidate and eliminate dissent.
This attack fits a broader context of systemic human rights violations in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and “kill and dump” operations over decades . The province remains one of Pakistan’s most dangerous for journalists—over 40 have been killed since 2000.
While local police have opened an investigation, no arrests have been announced . IFJ and PFUJ have demanded a prompt, transparent inquiry, justice for Latif and his family, and assurance that journalists can work free from violence and intimidation .
Latif’s murder highlights the perilous environment for Baloch journalists and the urgent need for international scrutiny and protection of press freedom in the region.
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