BYC leader raises alarm over prolonged curfews, civilian deaths amid Pakistani air strikes in Balochistan

Quetta, Nov 8 (IANS) Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Sabiha Baloch expressed concern, stating that it has been more than 25 days since Pakistan imposed a curfew in the Zehri region of Balochistan, where several women and children were killed in airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces.

The latest remarks come amid a mounting human rights crisis in Zehri following weeks of Pakistani military operations that have left several people killed and injured.

In a video message shared on the BYC's social media platform, Sabiha also claimed that people in the region are losing their lives due to hunger and illness.

Highlighting the atrocities in Balochistan, she said the five people had been killed by state-backed death squads in the Makran region of Balochistan as Pakistan intensified its policies of enforced disappearances and targeted killings across the province.

Sabiha described these actions as part of a “broader attempt to suppress the Baloch nation and silence those who speak out”. She mentioned that BYC leaders are being imprisoned, and the names of various organisational members are being placed on the Fourth Schedule of Pakistan’s Anti–Terrorism Act to stifle their voices.

The BYC leader urged the people of Pakistan to rise and speak up against the ongoing genocide, warning that remaining silent would only allow it to grow.

Earlier this week, the BYC slammed Pakistani authorities for placing Baloch political activists and human rights defenders from across Balochistan in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti Terrorism Act. The rights body called the move an attempt to end the Baloch public struggle through the use of force.

“This action is not only illegal but also reflects a dangerous trend, through which an effort is being made to suppress peaceful political activities, silence legitimate differences of opinion, and criminalise those who raise their voices for human rights, justice, and political freedoms,” read a statement issued by the BYC.

“The names of hundreds of Baloch political and human rights workers, including those of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee's workers, have been added to the Fourth Schedule without any transparent proceedings, legal evidence, or fair judicial process. Meanwhile, the names of more political workers are continuously being added to this list,” the statement added.

--IANS

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