Deployment of Former Afghan Forces in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Their Alleged Use Against the Baloch National Movement

Balochistan: According to Raaz News | Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, a number of senior officials from the former government and Afghan security forces left the country, while some lower-ranking former army and police personnel were transferred to border areas of Balochistan.

According to allegations, Pakistan’s military institutions have supported some of these individuals in forming a force opposed to the Afghan Taliban. This support reportedly included providing them with weapons and facilitating their movement and activities in various areas. However, allegations have now emerged that these forces are also being used in operations against the Baloch national movement.

Sources cited in the report say that some former Afghan military personnel and police officers were offered monthly salaries of approximately 40,000 Pakistani rupees to cooperate with Pakistani institutions in Balochistan.

A former Afghan serviceman using the alias “Khan” said that a former Afghan police officer had repeatedly approached him, both directly and through intermediaries, inviting him to participate in counterinsurgency operations in Balochistan. He said that, following the repeated offers, he decided to change his place of residence.

Khan also said that recruited personnel were introduced to police stations in the areas where they were stationed. This reportedly enabled them to carry weapons and pass through checkpoints.

Deployment Locations of Former Afghan Forces

According to published information, the first camp for former Afghan security personnel was established near the Dalbandin Ring Road in Chagai district. These personnel were stationed alongside a local armed group supported by the Pakistani government.

Subsequently, reports emerged of a significant presence of these individuals alongside Pakistani forces in Nushki and Ahmad Wal, where they were reportedly involved in military operations against local residents and raids on residential homes.

The deployment of former Afghan personnel in Pashtun-majority areas of Balochistan, including Kalistan, Suran and Kuchlak, has also been reported, prompting protests from local residents.

According to some residents, the presence of these individuals has been accompanied by growing security concerns and crimes such as theft, highway robbery and drug use. Following local protests, Zia Langove, the provincial government’s Home Minister in Balochistan, announced the withdrawal of former Afghan security personnel from the Suran area. However, the Balochistan provincial government has yet to issue a comprehensive position on the status of these forces.

Reports also indicate that camps housing these individuals remain operational in the Hazarganji area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, as well as in Kuchlak and Suran.

Abdul Rahman Khetran, a former provincial minister and a member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has also said that these forces have been settled in border areas between Barkhan and Dera Bugti.

In a similar case, the presence of former Afghan personnel alongside Pakistani forces during military operations in Zahri, Zaidi, Sultan Shahr and Barshaki in Kharan district has been reported.

In this context, reports have emerged in recent months alleging that former Afghan security personnel have participated in operations conducted by Pakistani forces.

Former Afghan Personnel Killed in Operations and Attacks in Balochistan

Earlier reports indicated that several former Afghan security personnel were killed during an attack by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on the hideout of Shafiq Mengal, the leader of a state-backed armed group described as a “death squad,” in Khuzdar.

In August 2026, several fatal shootings targeting former Afghan military personnel and security officials were reported in Quetta and surrounding areas.

In one incident, Haji Wror Achakzai, the former police commander of Kandahar’s Second District, was shot dead in Quetta’s Hazarganji area. He had been transferred to Balochistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and was considered a close associate of Abdul Raziq Achakzai, the former police chief of Kandahar. The identities of the attackers and the motive for the attack remain unknown.

In another incident, two former Afghan servicemen named Ahmad and Adib were shot dead on the evening of August 23 near Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Quetta. They were reportedly close associates of Basir Achakzai, a former Afghan military commander. Police confirmed the attack but released no further details about the victims’ identities.

Three Afghan nationals were also killed in a shooting on August 18 at the Sona Khan intersection in Quetta’s Hazarganji area. In another incident, a former Afghan serviceman was shot dead along the Quetta–Kuchlak Ring Road.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for these attacks and no clear information has been released about the attackers’ motives, the incidents, alongside reports of former Afghan personnel being deployed in Balochistan, have drawn attention to the security situation facing these individuals and the possibility that they are being used alongside Pakistani security forces in operations against the Baloch population.

MahRang Baloch’s Statements and Political Protests

MahRang Baloch, a senior official of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) who is being held at Huda Jail, has said that reports of former Afghan security personnel participating in operations conducted by Pakistani forces have caused concern, anger and grief among the Baloch people.

She referred to reports from Zahri and other parts of Balochistan, adding that residents of Mastung had also protested against the stationing of former Afghan army personnel in a school and the establishment of a camp there with the support of the Pakistani Army.

Referring to the historical ties between the Baloch and Afghan peoples, MahRang Baloch called on former Afghan leaders to investigate these allegations and prevent former Afghan personnel from participating in operations against the Baloch people. She stressed that the historical bonds between the two peoples should not be sacrificed for political interests, temporary privileges or military cooperation.

Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, a member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in the Balochistan Provincial Assembly and representative for Zhob, has also raised the issue of former Afghan army personnel being present in his constituency and asked the government to explain why they had been transferred to the area. He alleged that thousands of personnel who served during Ashraf Ghani’s presidency are now present in Balochistan.

Position of the Balochistan National Party

The Balochistan National Party, led by Sardar Akhtar Mengal, has also expressed concern in a statement over the possible use of former Afghan security personnel against the Baloch people.

The party said that using any force to suppress and kill Baloch people would not only have human rights implications but would also undermine the historical and human ties between the Baloch and Afghan peoples.

Baloch political groups have called on Afghan leaders, elders and responsible figures to refrain from participating in actions that could lead to human rights violations and increased violence against the Baloch people.

Summary

Available reports indicate that former Afghan security personnel have been deployed across Balochistan, from Dalbandin to Quetta, Kuchlak, Suran, Nushki, Ahmad Wal, various parts of Kharan and other areas of the province. At the same time, allegations have emerged that Pakistani military institutions have supported and recruited these personnel and that they may have participated in operations against the Baloch national movement.

Local protests and statements by Baloch political groups, alongside reports of several former Afghan military personnel and security officials being killed in Quetta, have highlighted the security and political dimensions of the issue. However, details regarding the number of personnel deployed, the extent of their cooperation with Pakistani institutions, and any possible links between the fatal attacks and the military activities of these individuals still require independent investigation and verification.