Balochistan: Balochi Singer’s House Attacked in Kech

QUETTA: Operatives from a state-backed death squad attacked the residence of renowned revolutionary Balochi singer Minhaj Mukhtar last night in the town of Konshkalat, Tump, Balochistan.

The attack occurred around 1 AM when a convoy of four to five vehicles, accompanied by several motorcycles, arrived at Mukhtar’s home. Armed forces and death squad members entered the property, launching a brutal assault on both the house and its occupants.

According to eyewitnesses, gunfire riddled the doors and windows of the residence, while grenades were thrown at the walls.

For over two hours, Mukhtar’s family endured harassment and violence, leaving them shaken and traumatised. Sources confirm that the assailants also looted valuable belongings from the property.

This attack marks the latest in a series of assaults targeting Mukhtar’s home. In previous incidents, similar forces have set the property ablaze.

Minhaj Mukhtar, a prominent figure in the Balochi music scene, is known for singing songs critical of Pakistani state oppression, as well as in praise of Balochistan, the Baloch struggle for freedom and those resisting Pakistan’s state atrocities.

His outspoken activism/singing has made him a target for Pakistani forces and government-backed death squads, who have repeatedly attempted to intimidate him and his family.

These repeated attacks are widely seen as an effort to silence voices of dissent in Balochistan.