Balochistan curfew enters second week, Mashkay residents face food and medical crisis
Synopsis
A military-enforced curfew in Mashkay, Balochistan has entered its second week with no official explanation from Pakistani authorities. Residents are cut off from food, hospitals, and even Eid rituals, while the Baloch Yakjehti Committee is calling it state oppression and demanding international intervention — part of a pattern now spanning multiple Balochistan districts.
Key Takeaways
A curfew imposed by Pakistani forces in Mashkay , Awaran district , Balochistan has entered its second week as of 31 May .
Residents face shortages of food and essential supplies and are unable to access hospitals or medical treatment.
During Eid , locals were reportedly barred from purchasing sacrificial animals, affecting religious observance.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has condemned the curfew as a 'human rights violation' and called it 'the worst example of state oppression.' Similar restrictions have previously been reported in Noshki and Zehri , suggesting a pattern of security-driven lockdowns across Balochistan.
Pakistani authorities have issued no official statement on the reasons for the curfew.
Residents of Mashkay in the Awaran district of Pakistan's Balochistan are enduring acute shortages of food and essential supplies as a curfew and sweeping movement restrictions imposed by Pakistani forces stretch into a second week, according to local media reports. Authorities have not issued any official statement explaining the basis for the restrictions.
Daily Life Under Lockdown
Movement across Mashkay has been severely curtailed, cutting residents off from markets and medical facilities. Locals told The Balochistan Post that critically ill patients are unable to reach hospitals, while families are confined to their homes with dwindling access to basic goods. The prolonged restrictions have compounded hardship for an already underserved population.
Restrictions Extended to Religious and Social Life
Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Saturday strongly condemned the ongoing curfew, alleging it forms part of a wider effort 'to paralyse public life.' The BYC noted that even during Eid, residents of Mashkay were not permitted to purchase sacrificial animals. 'Measures of this nature are continuously plunging the public into a state of fear and uncertainty,' the BYC stated.
Impact on Health and Education
The BYC reported that school closures are disrupting students' education across the affected area. It further alleged that 'patients and their families in hospitals are repeatedly facing harassment and difficulties from the forces, as a result of which patients are suffering from both physical pain and mental stress.' The organisation characterised the denial of access to health and education as a serious 'human rights violation' and 'the worst example of state oppression.'
A Wider Pattern Across Balochistan
This is not an isolated incident. In recent months, comparable movement restrictions and lockdown-style measures have reportedly been enforced in Noshki and Zehri as well, where residents similarly described curbs on movement, trade, and healthcare access, according to reports. The recurrence of such measures across multiple districts points to a broader pattern of security-driven restrictions in the province.
International Appeal
The BYC has called on international human rights organisations to 'immediately take notice' of the ongoing curfew in Mashkay and other parts of Balochistan, urging them to advocate for the protection of residents' fundamental rights. Pakistani authorities have yet to respond publicly to the allegations or provide a justification for the restrictions. How the situation develops in the coming days will depend in part on whether domestic or international pressure prompts an official response.
Point of View
Zehri, and Mashkay have all seen similar lockdowns, suggesting these are not isolated security operations but a recurring governance instrument in Balochistan. International human rights bodies have been slow to respond to previous episodes; whether the BYC's latest appeal breaks through that inertia remains the critical variable.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has a curfew been imposed in Mashkay, Balochistan?
Pakistani authorities have not issued any official statement explaining the reasons for the curfew in Mashkay, Awaran district. The restrictions, imposed by Pakistani forces, have been in place for over two weeks as of 31 May, according to local media reports.
How are residents of Mashkay being affected by the curfew?
Residents are facing shortages of food and essential supplies, are unable to reach hospitals for medical treatment, and were reportedly barred from purchasing sacrificial animals during Eid. School closures have also disrupted children's education, according to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.
What is the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and what has it said?
The BYC is a human rights organisation focused on Balochistan. It has strongly condemned the Mashkay curfew, calling it part of a wider effort to 'paralyse public life' and describing the denial of health and education access as 'the worst example of state oppression.' It has urged international human rights bodies to intervene.
Is this curfew unique to Mashkay?
No. Similar movement restrictions have previously been reported in Noshki and Zehri in Balochistan, where residents described curbs on movement, trade, and healthcare access. Rights groups argue this reflects a broader pattern of security-driven restrictions across the province.
Has Pakistan's government responded to the allegations?
As of 31 May, Pakistani authorities had not released any official statement addressing the reported curfew in Mashkay or the human rights concerns raised by the BYC and local residents.
