Education is a transformative force with the potential to reshape socio-political structures, promote equity, and drive social progress. However, in Pakistan, elite capture presents a significant challenge to the education system, spreading disparities and restricting access to quality education by marginalised communities. Therefore, our qualitative study aims to explore the pervasive influence of political elites in shaping school education in Balochistan, Pakistan, utilising elite theory to analyse how their dominance aggravates socio-economic inequalities and weakens educational equity. The findings reveal that elite politics has a pervasive influence on education, leading to widespread illiteracy, inadequate infrastructure, high student absenteeism, poor academic performance, and insufficient teacher training. Further, the study found that feudal hierarchy challenges meritocracy and promotes nepotism, corruption, and unequal resource distribution. Our findings suggest a comprehensive, bottom-up policy framework that prioritises active local community engagement, ensures transparent and equitable resource allocation, fosters continuous professional development for teachers, and implements rigorous monitoring mechanisms to eliminate patronage and favouritism. Furthermore, promoting strategic public-private partnerships is essential to reduce the excessive influence of political elites and develop a more inclusive and equitable education system in Balochistan.