Mufti Shah Mir, a well-known Pakistani scholar, was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in Balochistan province, according to reports from local media. Mir had previously been accused of aiding Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in the abduction of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav from Iran.
The fatal attack occurred in Turbat, located in the Kech district of Balochistan, on Friday night. According to the Dawn newspaper, Mir was leaving a mosque after offering his night prayers when he was ambushed.
Eyewitnesses and police sources reported that armed men on motorcycles approached Mir and opened fire on him from close range, leaving him gravely injured. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
Emergency responders rushed the injured scholar to Turbat hospital, but despite receiving medical attention, he succumbed to multiple bullet wounds. The police confirmed that he had sustained several gunshot injuries, which ultimately proved fatal.
Mufti Shah Mir was closely associated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and was believed to be involved in arms and human trafficking operations under the guise of religious scholarship. Reports published in The Times of India suggest that he maintained strong links with Pakistan’s ISI and frequently visited terror training camps within Pakistan. It is also alleged that he played a significant role in facilitating the infiltration of terrorists into Indian territory.
This was not the first attempt on Mir’s life. He had survived two previous assassination attempts before finally being killed in this attack. His death comes just days after two prominent leaders of the JUI-F were similarly shot dead in Khuzdar, another region in Balochistan that has witnessed frequent violence and unrest.
The Kulbhushan Jadhav Case
Kulbhushan Jadhav, a retired officer of the Indian Navy, was operating a business in Chabahar, Iran, when he was allegedly abducted near the Iran-Pakistan border in 2016. He was later handed over to the Pakistani military and charged with espionage.
In 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced Jadhav to death on charges of spying and engaging in subversive activities against the state. India vehemently opposed the verdict, arguing that Jadhav had been denied a fair trial and was not granted adequate legal representation.
Following diplomatic intervention, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stepped in and, in 2019, issued a stay on Jadhav’s execution. The ICJ also directed Pakistan to review his conviction and ensure that he was granted consular access by international legal norms.
Despite the ICJ’s ruling, Jadhav remains imprisoned in Pakistan, and concerns persist regarding the fairness of the judicial process in his case. In 2021, the Pakistani government introduced a new law allowing Jadhav to appeal his conviction. However, India dismissed the legislation, arguing that it contained the same flaws as previous laws and failed to ensure the fundamental principles of a fair trial.
Notably, another key figure in Jadhav’s abduction, Mullah Omar Irani, who was associated with the militant group Jaish al-Adl, was allegedly assassinated by ISI operatives in Turbat in 2020. His death further fueled speculation about the shadowy dealings surrounding Jadhav’s capture and Pakistan’s intelligence operations.
The latest killing of Mufti Shah Mir adds another layer of intrigue to the ongoing tensions surrounding the Jadhav case and the broader security landscape in Balochistan, a region long plagued by insurgency, extrajudicial killings, and political unrest.