Balochistan: Lawyer Killed by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps in Panjgur
PANJGUR, BALOCHISTAN: Hammal Hassani son of Samad Hassani, a young Baloch lawyer, was shot dead by personnel of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) in the Koh Sabz Palantak area of Panjgur.
Local sources say the incident occurred in the evening while Hassani was travelling to Panjgur, and they allege the involvement of security personnel.
Human rights groups say Hassani’s killing fits a long-standing pattern in Balochistan, where civilians are detained, taken to remote locations, and returned dead, often labelled as militants or left without explanation.
Families live in fear, and roads in Panjgur have become checkpoints of intimidation affecting students, teachers, lawyers, and labourers.
The killing has drawn strong condemnation from the legal community.
The Balochistan Bar Council, led by Vice Chairman Jadain Dashti, has called for a province-wide strike on Monday, March 9, 2026, demanding an impartial inquiry into Hassani’s death.
Similarly, the Quetta, Loralai and Sibbi Bar Associations have announced strikes on the same day, while the Mastung Bar Association has called for a strike and boycott of court proceedings on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, demanding the formation of an independent judicial commission.
The Young Lawyers Alliance (YLA) also condemned the killing, calling for a fair judicial investigation.
Human rights observers warn that the violence is systematic, designed to instil fear rather than silence everyone and that Balochistan remains largely inaccessible to journalists and foreign correspondents, making independent reporting difficult and dangerous.
International human rights organisations, including the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have been urged to press Pakistan for an independent investigation into Hassani’s death and other abuses. Activists warn that without global scrutiny, killings like Hassani’s could continue unchecked.
