Pakistan's Human Rights Council (HRC) on Saturday, 6 June strongly condemned what it called a 'barbaric and regrettable' acid attack on a female doctor while she was on duty at Sandeman Civil Hospital in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The rights body described the assault as a grave security failure and demanded immediate arrests and prosecution under anti-terrorism clauses.

The Attack and Official Response

The HRC of Pakistan expressed deep concern over what it termed a 'cowardly assault', stating: 'A woman associated with such a sacred profession, engaged in serving humanity and saving lives, to be targeted with such brutal violence right at her workplace is not only a slap in the face to the medical community but also to the entire society and humanity.'

The Council declared that in any civilised society, attacks on healthcare professionals are intolerable, and that guaranteeing the safety of medical staff — particularly female doctors at sensitive locations such as hospitals — is a fundamental government responsibility.

Demands for Justice and Medical Care

The HRC called on the Balochistan government, the Health Department, and police authorities to immediately arrest all those involved in the attack and prosecute them under anti-terrorism provisions, seeking the 'harshest exemplary punishment' permissible by law. It simultaneously demanded that the injured doctor receive the best available medical treatment at government expense to ensure her full recovery.

Wider Pattern of Violence Against Women in Balochistan

The acid attack comes amid a broader pattern of violence and alleged state repression against women in Balochistan. The daughter of missing Baloch poet Habiba Pirjan has alleged that her family has been subjected to repeated raids, harassment, and a disinformation campaign following her mother's disappearance from Karachi last month.

In a video statement widely circulated on social media platform X, Hina Baloch claimed her mother was taken away by personnel from state institutions on 25 May following a raid at their residence in Baldia Town, with no information provided about her whereabouts since. She further alleged that Pakistani authorities were spreading false information about her mother through fake social media accounts and unidentified media outlets. According to Hina, this marked Habiba's second enforced disappearance — she was previously detained in May 2022 and released days later.

Rights Activists Speak Out

Sammi Deen Baloch, a member of the human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), posted on X: 'All these actions are not only grave violations of fundamental human rights but are tantamount to collectively punishing a Baloch woman and her family.' She added: 'The Baloch nation is facing a repression where law, ethics, and human dignity hold no value, and instead of ensuring the respect and protection of women, they are being targeted, ridiculed, and their character assassination is being used as a weapon.'

With the HRC's condemnation on record and rights groups amplifying calls for accountability, pressure is mounting on Pakistani authorities to demonstrate credible action — both in the hospital attack case and in the broader crisis of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.