Quetta: Senior journalist and correspondent for Quetta-based newspaper Daily Intikhab, Abdul Latif Baloch, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Mashkay area of Awaran district, Balochistan, on Saturday.
According to reports, police stated that the attackers entered Baloch's home early in the morning in an apparent attempt to abduct him. However, upon resistance, the assailants opened fire, killing him on the spot. The attackers fled the scene, and no arrests had been made until late Saturday night. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Officials confirmed that Abdul Latif Baloch was also serving with the Levies Force. They further revealed that a few years ago, his abducted son was found dead in the same area of Mashkay.
The brutal killing of Abdul Latif Baloch has drawn strong condemnation from journalist bodies across Pakistan. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the incident, while the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) termed the murder part of a wider conspiracy to silence independent journalistic voices in the province.
PFUJ acting president Khalid Khokhar and Secretary General Arshad Ansari said in a joint statement: “This barbaric act reminds us of the immense dangers journalists face while fulfilling their professional duties.”
They demanded immediate and effective action from the government to investigate the crime, identify the perpetrators, and bring them to justice. PFUJ also called for increased security measures for journalists and condemned the threats Abdul Latif Baloch reportedly received prior to his murder. “Such actions push journalism and democracy further into the shadows of fear,” the statement said.
The PFUJ leadership expressed solidarity with Abdul Latif Baloch's family, colleagues, and the journalist community in Balochistan, vowing to continue their struggle for press freedom and journalist safety.
In a separate statement, BUJ President Khalil Ahmed and General Secretary Abdul Ghani Kakar paid tribute to Baloch, calling him an honest and dedicated journalist. They said his targeted killing represents a grave threat to press freedom in Balochistan.
“Journalists in sensitive regions like Balochistan already operate under severe threats, and such attacks reflect the government's failure to ensure their safety,” they said. “If urgent steps are not taken, this dangerous trend may worsen.”
The BUJ urged the Balochistan government to arrest the perpetrators immediately and ensure justice is served.
