The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Tuesday condemned what it described as an ongoing curfew in Zehri, Khuzdar, and a large-scale military operation in the Surab area of Balochistan, saying the measures were creating serious humanitarian concerns for civilians.
In a statement, the group said Zehri had remained under a complete curfew for the past four days, adding that it had “made life extremely difficult for ordinary people” during the holy month of Ramadan.
It said families were struggling to find food and other basic necessities, while “small children are crying from hunger” and patients were unable to reach hospitals or obtain medicines because of road closures.
The group added that not only the town but also nearby villages had been cut off, leaving thousands of people stranded on both sides of blocked routes.
At the same time, BYC said Pakistani forces had carried out what it described as a large-scale operation in Laghar and nearby areas of Surab, adding that a large number of soldiers entered the area with vehicles and began house-to-house searches.
The statement said several homes were raided during the operation, with doors and windows broken in some places, while women and children were “pushed and mistreated” and household property and furniture were also damaged during the raids.
The group said the actions had created “serious humanitarian concerns for the local population”, which it said was already facing severe hardship because of the curfew and military operations.
It urged the international community and humanitarian organisations to take notice of what it called violations of basic human rights and to hold Pakistan and its institutions accountable.