Pakistan’s Deep State Expands ‘Kill and Dump’ Policy

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Pakistan’s Deep State has a history of targeting dissidents who live within its borders. In the last year or two, the tentacles of this deep state have now spread to attacking, kidnapping and often killing dissidents who live abroad.

In the last week 4 Pashtun and Baluch leaders have been killed: 3 inside the country and one outside. Sajid Hussain, activist, dissident, and exiled editor of a Balochistan paper, was killed in Sweden while 2 student activists Ihsan and Shahdad Baloch were killed inside Balochistan. Senior leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Arif Wazir was shot and killed last week in South Waziristan.

Soon after Arif Wazir’s killing, Member of National Assembly from North Waziristan, and one of PTM’s many leaders, Mohsin Dawar tweeted:

In an interview, Taha Siddiqui, exiled Pakistani journalist and founder of Safenewsrooms, said: “Arif Wazir and Sajid Hussain are both victims of state action but without the state being visible. That is how the military operates in Pakistan — in shadows, without leaving footprints.” Siddiqi noted, ““In the past, Pakistan Army officials, including the former military dictator General Musharraf in a recent interview, have suggested killing dissidents abroad and it seems like they are now putting that plan in action. This is following the Saudi, Chinese, Turkish and Russian playbook.”

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Author: Ali Chughtai