The body of Shah Zeb Satkzai, a BLA fidayeen killed during clashes with Pak Army in Kalat, was finally handed over to his family after a massive public outcry and protest outside Quetta’s Civil Hospital.
Satkzai, a member of the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Fatah Squad, had died in the recent attack on a Pak Army’ camp, following which his body was seized by occupied-authorities. Initially, hospital officials, under the pressure of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), refused to release the body to the grieving family, triggering widespread anger among the local population.
The occupied-authorities’ refusal to return Satkzai’s body demonstrates the continuous oppression and disregard for the dignity of Baloch individuals at the hands of the Paki establishment. Despite Satkzai’s tragic death in the conflict, the Pakistan Army treated his family’s grief with inhumanity and indifference, only relenting after a large-scale public protest.
Citizens, including women and youth, gathered outside the hospital in protest after Shah Zeb’s sister’s public appeal for help in receiving her brother’s body. Her emotional video message highlighted the cruelty of the occupied-authorities, who had instructed her to go to CTD officials and the local court without any resolution. Even then, the body was withheld, reflecting the deep-rooted oppression faced by Baloch families who are subjected to not only violence but also the denial of basic human rights such as dignity in death.
This case highlights the ongoing pattern of abuse in POB, where the Pak authorities have long treated Baloch lives as expendable. This is part of a larger strategy to suppress the voices of dissent, silence activists, and enforce a militarized occupation of Baloch lands. The Paki establishment, under the pretext of counterterrorism, has militarized Baloch areas, displacing families, abducting young activists, and even resorting to extrajudicial killings to maintain control.
After the protest, the authorities finally surrendered the body to the family, who then transported it to the Dghari area of Quetta. The funeral prayer for Shah Zeb Satkzai is scheduled for Friday morning, but the tragic episode serves as a reminder of the relentless suffering endured by the Baloch people under the Paki regime.