Shafiq Mengal, a controversial figure in Balochistan who has faced numerous allegations related to enforced disappearances and militant activities, has announced that he is joining the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
According to reports, Mengal made the announcement during a meeting with Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, in Islamabad. The meeting was also attended by PPP leader Ali Hasan Zehri and other party members. Mengal is expected to contest the upcoming elections from Wadh on a PPP ticket.
Mengal is widely known in Balochistan as the head of the group commonly referred to as “Musala Diffa Tazeem (armed defense organisation)” and has frequently been described by critics and activists as a leader of a so-called “death squad.” Political and social circles have long accused him of involvement in enforced disappearances, targeted killings, kidnapping for ransom and other criminal activities across Balochistan.
According to critics and human rights advocates, Mengal emerged as a prominent figure during the PPP-led government formed after the 2008 elections and was allegedly active in areas of Balochistan, particularly in Khuzdar, where he was accused of involvement in kidnappings and violent activities.
Some analysts and activists have also linked Mengal to sectarian militant networks and attacks against the Shia community, including the 2016 bombing at the Shah Noorani Shrine and the 2017 suicide attack at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine. These allegations have been widely reported in political and media discussions.
Pakistani media reports in the past have also alleged that Mengal had links with militant groups operating in the region, including providing facilities to militants associated with Islamic State – Khorasan (ISK).
Mengal’s name has also been mentioned in connection with the discovery of mass graves in 2014 in the Tootak area of Khuzdar, where dozens of bodies were recovered. Human rights groups and local activists raised concerns about the case, but it remains unresolved to date.
His brother, Atta ur Rehman Mengal, who was also accused by nationalists of involvement in similar activities, was reportedly killed last year in an attack claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
In 2013, Mengal was also reportedly the target of a suicide attack claimed by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade, which resulted in the deaths of more than 20 members of an armed group associated with him. Mengal survived the attack.
The development has drawn attention in political and civil society circles, with debate continuing over Mengal’s past allegations and his entry into mainstream politics.