A Border Breach Of Humanity – OpEd

Haiz Abad’s night was marred by neither weather or a storm, but by the cold, calculated sound of violence that resulted in eight innocent lives ending.

In District Mehristan of Iran, a tragic and deeply disturbing incident occurred on night of April 11, 2025. Unknown assailants bound and shot eight ordinary Pakistani laborers at an otherwise quiet village during this month in Haiz Abad at a vehicle repair shop. The murder was methodical, as ruthless as it was premeditated, and all signs point to an act committed. The people lost were not just names of a list but stories of people, cut short and killed.

It also hit a nerve in Pakistan because it occurred amid warnings and tensions. Iranian authorities had only just warned about the threat of possible terrorist activity targeting Pakistani nationals in the area, just days before. But the fact that this warning predated this mass killing makes it all much more serious and sadly demands answers. But death has come to cling now to questions, for the families of the victims: about safety and accountability, and justice.

While no group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, its nature has hallmarks that are disturbingly similar to the ones used by terrorist outfits like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The BLA and similar non state actors are known to target unarmed civilians, in an effort to create fear, exacerbated ethnic tensions and destabilize relative relationships. The involvement of such groups means the message of this act of terrorism is clear: innocent lives can be destroyed for the sake of political violence.

The loss here is so much more than the here and now. It is legitimately concerning that armed non state actor can operate with impunity inside Iran’s border areas, not merely for Pakistan but for the broader region. These are such spaces that if left unmonitored and unsecured can rapidly become breeding ground for militancy and extremism. In fact, it is exactly in these areas where intensive state presence and coordinated intelligence efforts are required, as well as active counterterrorism operations.

Rightly so, Pakistan has expressed its outrage. And it has also sent out a firm and respectful expectation that it wants a comprehensive investigation, swift justice and full cooperation in repatriating the remains of the victims. And there is a huge need to hear an unambiguous Iranian commitment to not allow any actor, however, it tries to hide under the carpet, whether on Iranian soil or supporting Iranian soil, to ever put Pakistani lives in danger in this manner again. This is not just a matter for both parties — it’s a moral and a regional imperative.

The situation has never been clearer that it needs coordinated countermeasures. This tragedy on such a scale should not be met with silence or for the sake of theatrics. A measure of justice for the victims and a test of Iran’s commitment to regional peace will be Iran’s willingness to act decisively. A clear message needs to be made that the targeting of innocents — no matter who they are related to, their ethnicity or origin — will not be tolerated.

Going forward, improving security procedures in such sensitive areas must be each person’s responsibility. The Iran–Pakistan border region has long presented such challenges from smuggling networks to militant crossings. However, the moment some civilians begin losing their lives to such vulnerabilities is the end of a reactive period and the beginning of a proactive, preventive period. Above all, both countries have to invest in strengthening intelligence sharing, joint task forces and local security assessments so that those who come to a better life or come to work across the border are not left exposed to senseless violence.

But this tragedy does not have to overshadow the long connection between Pakistan and Iran – fellow Muslims and neighbors, with deep cultural, religious, and economic connections. Terrorist groups thrive on disruption. Their attacks are not just people but the entire concept of cooperation and stability. Iran and Pakistan can only fight them by not retreating in suspicion, but by forward in unity. As painful as that moment is, it serves as a chance to improve of mechanisms of protection, communication and mutual support.

What matters is Iran’s response in the days to come. If there is to be a transparent, timely, firm investigation that identifies and incarcerates and prosecutes the perpetrators, that it will honor the victims and will send a clear message of deterrence to people would seek to replicate such acts. This would also reinforce Iran’s place among the responsible regional actors that seek to preserve peace and human dignity.

The hope for Pakistan is that lives will not be lost in vain. That a tragic end will be a tipping point for stronger bilateral security coordination. The men who walked out of the homes to make a living across the border belong not as figures in a report, but as a stark reminder of the cost of inaction. And most of all, that justice will not be an ideal but a reality.

But for the grieving families in Pakistan anxious to receive the bodies of their loved ones they deserve something more than condolences and sympathy: a promise that never again will Pakistanis working or living in Iran be subjected to this kind of terror without it being fully investigated, prevented and punished. Now it is for Iran to honor that promise with resolve and to make sure that death’s ghosts will not haunt that Haiz Abad, for the rest of these 18 days.