Balochistan: Civilian Killed by Pakistani Forces Sparks Protests and Shutdown
SHAAL (QUETTA): A civilian identified as Shah Dur Mengal was shot and killed by Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary (FC) in the border town of Nokundi, Balochistan, on July 18, in what local residents and activists are calling an extrajudicial killing.
The incident has sparked protests, road blockades, and a region-wide shutdown across multiple regions.
Mengal was a resident of Nokundi in Chaghi district and worked as a cross-border fuel transporter, driving a Zamyad pickup truck between Iranian and Pakistan Occupied Balochistan—a vital source of income in this economically marginalised region.
According to local sources, he was fired upon without warning by FC personnel, who are deployed in the area under Pakistan’s paramilitary command structure.
Family members and protesters responded swiftly, placing Mengal’s dead body on the main highway in Nokundi on Friday evening to demand justice. The demonstration quickly grew into a wider civil action, with locals blocking the Baab-e-Umar entry point into Nokundi, effectively cutting off all traffic to and from the town.
By Saturday, the unrest had spread beyond Nokundi, with a general shutdown observed in Chaghi, Dalbandin, Chahtar, and Yakmach. Local markets remained closed, and transportation services were halted as a sign of solidarity with the grieving family and in protest against the growing militarisation and human rights abuses in the region.
No official statement has been issued by the FC or Pakistani authorities regarding the incident. However, human rights groups have long criticized the Pakistani government for its heavy-handed approach in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and targeted killings have been widely documented.
The protesters are demanding an independent investigation into Shah Dur Mengal’s killing and the prosecution of those responsible.
