A citywide shutdown was observed across Awaran district in Balochistan on Wednesday, as shops, businesses, and public spaces remained closed in protest over the killing of two civilians, including a woman.
The strike was called by the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) following the deaths of Naeem Baloch, son of Sanjar Baloch, and an elderly woman, Hoori Baloch, in the Malaar Machhi area of Awaran.
Local sources said Pakistani forces raided several homes at around 1:00 AM on Tuesday, opening fire when residents resisted the arrest of a young man. An elderly woman, Dadi Baloch, was critically wounded in the attack.
The BWF condemned the killings, calling the incident an “extrajudicial execution”. The group said this was the fifth such incident in Awaran in a week.
In a statement, the BWF said state institutions had been “given free rein to use force without legal justification”. It described the situation as “extremely alarming”.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) also issued a statement. It said Naeem Baloch and his aunt, Hoori Bibi, were “shot and killed” by Pakistani forces. The BYC claimed this was not the first time the family had been targeted.
According to the BYC, in 2015, an airstrike killed Naeem’s other aunt, Gohar Baloch, along with seven relatives. In 2023, Naeem himself was “forcibly disappeared”. His mother, who was critically wounded in the latest attack, has also been detained in the past.
The BYC said “dozens of people in Awaran and the neighbouring Mashkay area have been killed in recent extrajudicial operations”. It criticised national media for remaining silent on the issue and called on the international community to take notice.
Both the BYC and the BWF appealed to the United Nations and global human rights organizations to conduct “independent and transparent investigations” into these incidents. They warned that the killings were “not isolated incidents” but part of a broader policy aimed at “erasing Baloch identity, resistance, and existence”.