Quetta, Feb 2 (IANS) At least 10 civilians were killed after Pakistani security forces opened fire on a passenger vehicle near Cadet College in Nushki district of Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation said on Monday.
These latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of targetted killings and enforced disappearances across the province.
Condemning the attack, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said such attacks on unarmed civilians are unlawful and constitute a serious violation of fundamental human rights. It added that the escalation of violence under ongoing Pakistani military operations has created fear and insecurity among the civilian population across Balochistan.
“Under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and customary international law, civilians must be protected at all times and must never be the target of attack. The deliberate or reckless use of force against unarmed civilians is a war crime,” the BVJ stated.
The rights body called for independent investigations, accountability for those responsible, and immediate measures to protect civilian lives across Balochistan.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB), on Monday highlighted 598 killings in Balochistan in 2025 perpetrated mostly by the Pakistani security forces amid rising violence against civilians across the province.
In its findings, the HRCB documented that out of 598 documented killings, targetted killings were the most common with 165 cases, followed by 104 custodial killings, while 66 cases involved bodies discovered under unclear circumstances.
The report recorded 59 cases of fake encounters, where individuals previously subjected to enforced disappearance were later killed in staged operations by the Pakistani forces.
Additionally, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, brought to light the enforced disappearances of another three civilians at the hands of Pakistani forces in the early hours of Monday.
According to the rights body, a large contingent of the Pakistani army raided multiple houses in the Hub Chowki region in Balochistan, while forcibly disappearing Retired Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi, his brother Naeem Sajidi, and Engineer Rafeeq Baloch, the former Chief of Sui Gas in the province.
Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi is the father of Baloch National Movement (BNM) Chairman Naseem Baloch, while Naeem Sajidi and Rafeeq Baloch are his uncles.
“The raid and subsequent abductions were carried out without any legal justification, reflecting the ongoing pattern of collective punishment and enforced disappearances in Balochistan,” Paank mentioned.
–IANS
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