Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in Balochistan, stating that the state is rapidly losing control, particularly during the night.
Speaking in a recent interview, Abbasi described an environment of fear and uncertainty across the province, adding that in Quetta, even senior government officials and ministers are unable to move without security escorts. “After dark, the state’s presence on the ground virtually disappears,” he said.
He attributed the instability to the increasing operations of Baloch armed groups, who now frequently patrol major highways, set up checkpoints, and take control of urban areas for hours at a time. “This is not a breakdown in law and order—it is a sign of the state’s fading authority,” he noted.
Abbasi also pushed back against recent comments by Pakistan’s army chief, who claimed that only 1,500 individuals were responsible for the unrest. “This is a serious misreading of the situation,” he said. “Blaming 1,500 people is a way of avoiding the real problem. The reality is that the state is no longer fully in control of Balochistan.”
His remarks come as Balochistan faces a deepening political crisis, a rise in enforced disappearances, and an escalation in armed insurgency. Baloch nationalist armed groups have indicated that urban takeovers are now part of their strategy, reinforcing concerns about the state’s diminishing hold over the region.