In Balochistan’s Mand area, residents are staging a protest against what they describe as a forced occupation of their ancestral homes by Pakistani security forces. For five consecutive days, women, children, and elders have blocked a main road, demanding that the Frontier Corps (FC) vacate land reportedly seized under the pretense of “security purposes.”
The FC reportedly took control of private property in Mand’s Maheer area more than five years ago, converting homes into checkpoints and establishing a permanent military camp.
Recently, residents say the FC issued an ultimatum for further evacuations to expand the camp, sparking community outrage. Protesters vow to continue their sit-in until their properties are restored. They say they will not abandon their homes or allow new camps on their land, calling the encroachment a threat to their security, culture, and way of life.
“This is Our Land”: Women Lead Sit-In, Reject Calls to Disperse
Women at the forefront of the Mand protest have firmly rejected calls to end their demonstration, declaring they will not leave until the Frontier Corps (FC) fully vacates their homes and land.
Women protesters allege the FC forcibly seized their properties in the Maheer area five years ago to establish a military camp. Despite repeated appeals to local authorities, they claim the FC continues to occupy their homes, with recent demands to vacate additional areas intensifying fears for their safety, property, and way of life.
Efforts by officials to negotiate an end to the protest have so far been unsuccessful. Provincial Fisheries Minister Barkat Rind reportedly contacted the protesters, urging them to travel to Turbat for discussions—a proposal the women refused, insisting that any talks take place at the protest site. “If anyone wants to address this issue, they should come to us,” they said.
Subsequently, local administration representatives, including Rahima Jalal, sister of Zubaida Jalal, also visited the site, encouraging the women to disperse.
On the fourth day of the sit-in, protesters reported intimidation tactics by local elites, allegedly backed by the state, who attempted to clear the road forcibly using tractors. “If any harm comes to the families here, the responsibility will lie with the local administration,” the protesters warned.
On the fifth day, local leader Fida Hakeem met with the women in person, requesting a two-month period to address their grievances. However, the protesters once again refused, reiterating their demand for the FC to fully vacate their homes.
They have called on Baloch people and civil society organizations to stand in solidarity, emphasizing that the sit-in will continue until all demands are met.
Homes, Schools Occupied and Converted into Checkpoints
Protesters in Mand allege that the Frontier Corps (FC) has not only occupied their homes but also taken over schools and public spaces, transforming them into military checkpoints and disrupting daily life.
In Mand’s Maheer area, residents report that a local children’s school has been occupied, with FC personnel stationed on rooftops. “Our children are afraid to go to school, and female teachers feel threatened,” a local parent said, adding that many students now avoid attending classes due to safety concerns.
The situation in Mand reflects what locals describe as a broader pattern across Balochistan, where educational and public facilities are frequently repurposed for military use under the pretext of “security concerns.”
In June 2018, for example, two schools in Pidark, Kech district—a girls’ school and a boys’ school—were forcibly occupied by the FC and converted into military camps. Similarly, in Buleda’s Menaz town, a school was converted into a military outpost, depriving children of access to their only nearby educational facility.
Residents argue that these militarization efforts form part of a wider strategy aimed at displacing Baloch communities from their ancestral lands. Similar military outposts have reportedly been established on public land across Balochistan, affecting regions such as Mashkay and Awaran.
Allegations of Surveillance and Harassment by Security Forces
Residents in Mand allege that Pakistani security forces have escalated their presence in the area through persistent surveillance and intimidation tactics. In addition to occupying homes and schools, locals report late-night searches, drone monitoring, and armed patrols, creating what they describe as a climate of fear and disruption.
“Drones fly over every day, watching us. Living peacefully has become impossible,” said one resident. In Mand, where many homes lack closed ceilings, interiors remain exposed to aerial surveillance—a source of heightened concern for women who say their privacy and safety are compromised.
The Baloch Women’s Forum, an advocacy group, condemned these practices, calling them acts of “psychological intimidation.”
“We, at the Baloch Women Forum, express concerns over the excessive use of force by Frontier Corps (FC) on residents of Maheer (Mand), harassing them via various tools like seizing their homes on gunpoint, flying drone cameras on their homes, uselessly firing on their homes and using torch light on in midnight,” the Forum stated.
They added that despite numerous complaints, local authorities have not intervened, leaving Mand residents feeling increasingly vulnerable.
The Baloch Women’s Forum called for the immediate withdrawal of security forces from the homes of the people in Mand, urging civil society groups and the Baloch people to support the residents’ call for safety and privacy.
Advocacy groups say the situation in Mand reflects a broader pattern across Balochistan, where surveillance measures are reportedly escalating. Security forces are allegedly using drones throughout the region to monitor and film private homes without consent, reinforcing what locals describe as ongoing restrictions on their freedom and privacy.
Broader Fears of Forced Displacement Across Balochistan
The protests in Mand highlight growing concerns across Balochistan about what advocacy groups describe as the “systematic displacement” of indigenous communities to facilitate expanding military infrastructure.
Activists allege that military encroachment under the pretense of “security” has disrupted the lives of families, many of whom face displacement or restrictions within their own lands.
Reports of forced displacement across Balochistan have reportedly increased in recent years, particularly in areas impacted by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Although promoted as a pathway to economic development, the CPEC project has led to the relocation of thousands of Baloch residents. Many now struggle to access basic services, including education, healthcare, and transportation. Local infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, has reportedly been repurposed for military use, often limiting essential resources for communities.
In response, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a prominent advocacy group, has called on Baloch people to resist what it terms “the occupation of native lands under the guise of security.” The group alleges that military encroachment and displacement are tactics to weaken the Baloch people, pushing many into becoming refugees on their own land.
“Forced displacement of indigenous populations is a tool of genocide perpetrated by the State,” the BYC said, appealing to international human rights organizations to take notice of the militarization and rights abuses occurring in Balochistan.