Pakistan's military and ISI have long used terrorist groups as weapons in their regional game. Now, a new threat is emerging in Balochistan—a dangerous alliance between Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K). With the backing of ISI, these terrorist organizations are targeting Baloch rebels and factions of the Afghan Taliban.
ISIS-K’s magazine 'Yalgar' even hints at plans for attacks in India's Kashmir. Recently, a photo of ISIS-K's coordinator Mir Shafiq Mengal handing a pistol to senior Lashkar commander Rana Mohammad Ashfaq surfaced, exposing Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism.
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Source: aajtak
The leaked photo shows ISIS-K’s Balochistan coordinator Mir Shafiq Mengal giving a pistol to Lashkar's top commander Rana Mohammad Ashfaq, revealing a direct ISI-sponsored plot. Ashfaq is expanding Lashkar’s reach across Pakistan, establishing new training centers, and connecting with other extremist groups.
Mir Shafiq Mengal, son of former Balochistan caretaker Chief Minister Nasir Mengal, has been ISI’s long-time asset. He has run a private killer squad targeting Baloch nationalists since 2010 and has been providing safe houses, funding, and arms to ISIS-K since 2015, as mentioned in Pakistan's 2015 Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.
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Source: aajtak
By 2018, ISI had helped ISIS-K establish two crucial camps in Balochistan—Mastung and Khuzdar districts. Mengal oversaw these camps: Mastung for assaults on Baloch rebels and Khuzdar for cross-border missions into Afghanistan, equipped with weapons and funds from ISI.
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The Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan in 2023 prompted ISI to refocus ISIS-K. Mastung camp zeroed in on Balochs, Khuzdar targeted Afghanistan, and Mengal's killer squad continued executing ISI's orders to eliminate Baloch insurgents. Mengal's political influence is evident—a 2023 photo even shows him with former President Asif Ali Zardari.
In March 2025, Baloch fighters launched a major attack on Mastung camp, killing 30 terrorists. In response, ISI called in Lashkar. By June 2025, Rana Ashfaq arrived in Balochistan. Lashkar's deputy Saifullah Kasuri held a 'jirga' (meeting), swearing jihad against Baloch separatists.
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Source: aajtak
The photo of Mengal and Ashfaq confirms this alliance. Analysts believe ISI aims to launch attacks on Baloch rebels and factions of the Afghan Taliban that are out of Islamabad's control—a classic proxy war.
Lashkar’s presence in Balochistan isn't new. The 'Markaz Taqwa' camp in Quetta, run by Afghan war veteran Mian Saqib Hussain, once trained militants from 2002 to 2009. Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal even received weapons training here in 2006.
The alliance with ISIS-K might see Lashkar attacking Baloch rebels similarly to their collaboration with Al-Qaeda in the Afghan jihad. Under ISI's watch, this coalition is altering Pakistan's terror network—uniting diverse factions to destabilize South Asia.
Source: aajtak
This alliance poses a significant threat to Afghanistan, Balochistan, and Kashmir. Pakistan deceives the world by calling ISIS-K 'Daesh' while using it for its own ends. ISI's ploy operates under 'plausible deniability'. India and Afghanistan must remain vigilant.
