Residents of Shoor Paarod and Gazg in Balochistan’s Kalat district have been directed to leave their areas by September 28 under a district administration notice that local sources said was issued on the instructions of Pakistani military authorities.
The notice, issued by the assistant commissioners of Kalat and Khaliqabad, said residents must complete their evacuation by the specified date in view of the “law-and-order situation”.
It called on residents to comply with the district administration’s orders and “ensure their safety”. The notice was also copied to relevant administrative and law-enforcement authorities.
The order comes weeks after Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said around 1,000 residents of the mountainous Shoor Paarod area would be relocated and resettled elsewhere before a military operation was carried out there.
Speaking in the Balochistan Assembly earlier this month, Bugti said camps belonging to what he described as “Fararis” had never been completely eliminated from the Shoor Paarod mountains since 1970 and defended planned military operations in the area.
Kalat has witnessed repeated military and aerial activity in recent weeks.
On September 14, Pakistani military aircraft reportedly carried out airstrikes in Chappar and areas adjoining Took and Dasht-e-Goran, a day after a drone targeted a vehicle in Manguchar. Gunship helicopters also reportedly shelled Rudeenjo and surrounding areas, while quadcopter strikes were reported in parts of the district.
Earlier on September 3, Pakistani military jets reportedly bombed Dasht-e-Goran in Kalat, where residents said several houses were destroyed. No casualties were reported as the houses were unoccupied at the time.
The evacuation order also follows similar reports from other parts of Balochistan. Residents of several areas in Noshki and Mastung have previously been ordered to leave their homes ahead of military operations, while displacement has also been reported from Zamuran in Kech.