Pakistani military strike in Balochistan injures 4 civilians, rights groups condemn abductions
Synopsis
Multiple human rights organisations have simultaneously raised alarms over Pakistani military conduct in Balochistan — mortar shelling that injured four civilians including an infant, enforced disappearances of a doctor and a student, and a nine-day student sit-in demanding the release of an abducted woman. The pattern, rights groups argue, reflects systemic civilian targeting under the cover of security operations.
Key Takeaways
Pakistani military mortar shelling on 25 April in Kharan's Lijjay region injured four civilians — Bibi Zakira , Bibi Shafiqa , Hafiz Tahir , and one-year-old Nadia .
Local doctor Shah Jahan was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location; his home was allegedly set on fire during the operation.
Malik Babul Baloch , a 32-year-old student, was allegedly abducted on 28 April by FC and CTD personnel from a Quetta college hostel.
Students outside Bolan Medical College in Quetta entered a ninth consecutive day of protest demanding the release of Khadija Baloch , abducted on 21 April .
The HRCB has called on international human rights bodies to urgently address the worsening situation in Balochistan.
A leading human rights organisation has strongly condemned a Pakistani military operation in Balochistan's Kharan district, which reportedly injured four civilians — including a one-year-old child — and triggered multiple enforced disappearances, according to reports emerging from Quetta on 1 May 2025.
Mortar Shelling in Kharan's Lijjay Region
The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) stated that mortar shelling by Pakistani forces on 25 April struck a residential area in the Lijjay region of Kharan district. The victims — identified as Bibi Zakira, Bibi Shafiqa, Hafiz Tahir, and a one-year-old child named Nadia — were reportedly denied transportation for urgent medical care, compounding the severity of their injuries.
The HRCB also raised alarm over the enforced disappearance of local doctor Shah Jahan, who was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location during the same operation. His home was allegedly set on fire by forces during the raid.
Rights Body Condemns Collective Punishment
In a strongly worded statement, the HRCB declared that the abduction of civilians and collective punishment of families are
Point of View
Paank, and BYC are not isolated — they point to a pattern of documented civilian harm in Balochistan that has persisted across multiple administrations in Islamabad. What is notable here is the specificity: named victims, named locations, named abductees. That level of documentation makes blanket denial harder to sustain. International human rights bodies have repeatedly flagged enforced disappearances in Balochistan, yet accountability mechanisms remain absent. With Pakistan currently navigating significant international scrutiny on multiple fronts, the question is whether this moment produces any diplomatic pressure — or whether Balochistan continues to be treated as an internal matter beyond external reach.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during the Pakistani military operation in Balochistan's Kharan district?
On 25 April, Pakistani forces conducted mortar shelling in the Lijjay region of Kharan district, injuring four civilians — two women, a man, and a one-year-old child. A local doctor, Shah Jahan, was also reportedly taken to an undisclosed location and his home allegedly set on fire.
Who is Malik Babul Baloch and why was he detained?
Malik Babul Baloch is a 32-year-old student from Mastung district in Balochistan. He was allegedly abducted on 28 April by Pakistan's Frontier Corps and Counter Terrorism Department from a hostel at the Polytechnical College of Technology in Quetta; no official reason for his detention has been disclosed.
Who is Khadija Baloch and what is the protest at Bolan Medical College about?
Khadija Baloch was allegedly abducted by Pakistani security forces on 21 April from the female hostel of Bolan Medical College in Quetta. Students have staged a sit-in protest outside the college for nine consecutive days demanding her release.
What has the Human Rights Council of Balochistan demanded?
The HRCB has called on international human rights bodies to urgently address the situation in Balochistan, condemning enforced disappearances, collective punishment, looting, and destruction of civilian property as violations of constitutional, domestic, and international law.
What is the broader human rights situation in Balochistan?
Rights organisations describe a pattern of enforced disappearances, collective punishment, and military operations targeting civilians in Balochistan. Multiple groups — HRCB, Paank, and BYC — have simultaneously raised alarms, indicating a worsening situation that advocates say occurs under the cover of security operations.
