Quetta, June 3 (IANS) The Baloch National Movement (BNM) strongly condemned the strict curfew imposed by Pakistani forces in the Mashkai area of Balochistan’s Awaran district, where residents have been confined to their homes for the past two weeks under what it described as a “military siege.”
In a statement, the BNM said that markets, shops, hospitals, and educational institutions remain closed, with people unable to leave their residences for their daily livelihood activities.
The group added that in Gajjar village and other small bazaars, the military occasionally allows limited opening for only one hour a day under its supervision.
“During this short window, only nearby residents are able to purchase essential food supplies, while people from distant villages remain deprived and face severe difficulties in accessing basic necessities,” it added.
The BNM accused the Pakistani military of summoning residents of small towns and villages to military camps in the morning and detaining them until evening, where they were allegedly subjected to mental and physical torture.
It further said that even during the recent Eid celebrations, people were not permitted to leave their homes for essential shopping.
According to the BNM, in the last year alone, over 20 people were killed in Mashkai by the Pakistani military after being called to camps or taken into custody and subjected to torture, while several others were arrested and killed after detention this year as well.
Highlighting the brutality of the Pakistani authorities, the group said that after arresting and killing Baloch civilians, their bodies are desecrated and, in some cases, burned in an attempt to destroy evidence and spread fear.
The BNM warned the international human rights organisations that failure to take notice of the “undeclared curfew” in Mashkai and other areas of Balochistan could further worsen the humanitarian crisis.
It also called on Baloch political and human rights activists to raise their voices on social media using the hashtag “#MashkaiUnderSiege” to draw global attention to the dire situation in the region.
Meanwhile, human rights organisation Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) raised serious concern over Pakistani military operations across several regions in Balochistan, including Zehri, Kalat, Mastung, and Quetta, amid allegations of drone strikes in civilian areas and casualties.
According to the BVJ, the arrest and alleged enforced disappearance of several individuals, including Sardar Naseer Ahmed Moosiani and his sons Zehri Khan and Khalil Ahmed, as well as curfew in Mashkai, have further heightened tensions and concern across the province.
The rights body called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to examine the situation and ensure that allegations of human rights violations in Balochistan are properly investigated.
–IANS
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