Human Rights Group Condemns Military Actions in Balochistan
Military Operations in Balochistan Under Scrutiny
Photo: IANS
Quetta, September 4: A prominent human rights organization has expressed strong disapproval of the recent escalation of military operations by Pakistan in the Zehri area of Balochistan's Khuzdar district. Reports indicate that a woman was killed and two others injured due to a drone strike on residential zones, while 25 civilians have reportedly been forcibly disappeared.
The Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) cited sources stating that the woman, who was collecting water, lost her life in the alleged drone attack, with two other individuals, including another woman, sustaining injuries. The organization noted that verifying the identities of the deceased and the condition of the injured remains challenging.
According to the BVJ, Pakistani security forces have allegedly detained 25 local residents, leading to their enforced disappearance.
This incident occurs amidst a prolonged curfew in Zehri, which has reportedly been in effect for several months.
“Mobile phone services have been suspended throughout Zehri due to the curfew, significantly hampering communication with affected communities. This communication blackout complicates efforts to gather reliable information regarding those who have allegedly disappeared, as well as those who have been killed or injured,” the BVJ stated.
In light of the enforced disappearances and the reported killing of a woman, the rights organization emphasized, “Targeting civilians, enforcing disappearances, and limiting access to information and communication raise serious human rights issues that necessitate an urgent, independent investigation.”
The BVJ has called upon the United Nations and international human rights organizations to probe the violations in Zehri, demanding accountability from Pakistani authorities regarding the whereabouts and safety of all missing individuals, while ensuring the protection of civilians from further harm.
In a separate incident in Balochistan's Turbat region, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the arbitrary closure of roads that hindered citizens' movement and the violence inflicted upon the public by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC).
The BYC reported that to provide VIP treatment to social media influencers and content creators from Islamabad, the movement of people in Turbat was restricted, with roads closed for several hours. Consequently, thousands of citizens, including schoolchildren, patients, medical staff, and businesspeople, faced significant hardships.
“When patients and senior doctors questioned the road closures, they were met with violence from the FC; one doctor was threatened with a rifle. Among those affected was a pregnant woman. In response to this incident, the public, patients, and hospital staff at Turbat Teaching Hospital protested by boycotting their duties, demanding an end to the curfew-like conditions and accountability for the officials responsible for the violence,” the BYC stated.
“It is deeply concerning that resources in Balochistan are being utilized to create so-called 'fake narratives,' while ordinary citizens are confined and stripped of their fundamental freedom of movement for the same purpose. The ongoing restrictions and coercion imposed on civilian life in Balochistan under the guise of security are utterly unacceptable,” it added.