A young Hindu trader, identified as Rakesh Kumar, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Balochistan’s Nushki town on Friday, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
The attackers reportedly entered Kumar’s shop in the Qadirabad area and opened fire after he resisted them. They then fled the scene, leaving him dead. Police arrived after receiving information about the incident and transported his body to the district hospital, where he was identified.
A case has been registered against the unidentified attackers. Police have not yet established a motive for the killing, and no organisation has claimed responsibility.
Minority lawmaker condemns killing
Gurpal Singh, a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, condemned the killing and described it as a “cowardly act” by what he called anti-state and anti-Balochistan elements.
Singh said the Hindu community had been part of Balochistan for centuries and had repeatedly demonstrated its loyalty to Pakistan and the province.
He warned that attacks on Hindu traders and other civilians would not succeed in creating fear and hatred among communities. Singh urged the Balochistan government and law-enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible, including the alleged facilitators and planners.
Balochistan faces continuing violence
The killing comes amid continuing armed violence in Balochistan, although no connection between Kumar’s death and any particular militant organisation has been established.
Baloch militant groups have claimed responsibility for numerous recent attacks targeting security personnel, military convoys, police installations and infrastructure.
The Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar claimed that its fighters ambushed a Pakistani military convoy in Nushki district on August 17, killing seven personnel and injuring more than eight.
The Baloch Liberation Army separately claimed responsibility for 22 attacks across Balochistan between August 9 and 15, saying that 26 Pakistani security personnel and members of alleged state-backed groups were killed.
The BLA also said it lost two fighters during a clash in Panjgur and alleged that Pakistani authorities subsequently killed three detained Baloch men in a staged encounter.
However, several of the casualty figures claimed by militant groups have not been publicly confirmed by Pakistan and could not be independently verified.
The circumstances and motive behind Kumar’s killing remain under investigation.
