SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: March 04, 2026

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Balochistan

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Pakistan

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On March 4, 2026, unidentified assailants opened fire at two professors on the campus of the University of Balochistan, killing one.

According to local sources, unidentified men on motorcycles fired multiple shots at lecturers Dilawar Khan and Bilal Ahmed Gichki. Khan was killed at the scene and Gichki was hospitalized for serious injury. Following the attack, students launched a protest demanding the arrest of the attackers.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about reports of targeted attacks of university lecturers and sends condolences to Mr. Dilawar Khan’s family, colleagues, and community. Authorities should take reasonable steps to prevent and respond to such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators responsible, in accordance with international human rights standards. In addition to the harm to the victims, lethal violence of a university leader undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.thenews.pk/print/1402839-lecturer-killed-another-injured-in-kharan-attack https://www.dawn.com/news/1978486
https://thebalochistanpost.net/2026/03/kharan-lecturer-killed-another-injured-in-shooting-at-uob-sub-campus/