Pakistan’s Shadow War: Afghan Ex‑Soldiers Recruited for Balochistan Operations

Executive Summary:
Recent intelligence indicates that Pakistan’s Army and intelligence services are actively recruiting former military personnel of the dissolved Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, offering them salaries of 70,000 Pakistani rupees and deploying them against the Baloch Liberation Army and Baloch Liberation Front in Balochistan. While ordinary Afghan citizens with valid visas face harassment and restrictions at the border, ex‑Afghan security officials are reportedly welcomed, granted free travel, and integrated into Pakistani operations. Sources from Kandahar’s Ghorak District and Helmand’s Bahramcha area suggest this dual policy reflects Islamabad’s intent to discourage civilian migration while exploiting trained Afghan manpower for counterinsurgency purposes.

^{Respect at the border, danger in the hills, Afghan ex‑soldiers turned mercenaries in Pakistan’s shadow war.}