The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has sharply criticised Pakistani authorities over an ongoing military siege and curfew in Noshki district of Balochistan, calling it a 'continuation of the state's policy of collectively punishing the Baloch people.' In a statement issued on Sunday, 2 August, the rights group urged the United Nations and the international community to intervene and halt what it described as grave human rights violations.

Six Months of Siege: What the BYC Alleges

According to the BYC, the military siege, curfew, house raids, and enforced disappearances in Noshki have persisted for over six months and represent, in its characterisation, 'a systematic state policy of collective punishment against the Baloch people.' The organisation alleged that the repeated extension of the curfew — rather than any restoration of normalcy — demonstrates that Pakistani authorities are relying on coercion to maintain control.

The BYC stated in its post on X (formerly Twitter) that Noshki has 'effectively been turned into an open prison,' with labourers, daily wage earners, students, patients, women, and children all reportedly affected by the restrictions. Sources of livelihood have allegedly been shut down, movement curtailed, and access to healthcare and food disrupted, forcing residents to live under conditions of fear and uncertainty.

Mass Arrests and Enforced Disappearances

The BYC further alleged that large-scale raids, mass arrests, and enforced disappearances by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan in recent days have worsened conditions in Noshki. Several individuals have reportedly been arrested and transported to undisclosed locations, while others have allegedly been forcibly disappeared during house raids, according to the group's statement.

The committee characterised enforced disappearances, military sieges, curfews, and collective punishment as 'different facets of the same state policy,' arguing that 'brutality and coercion have replaced the rule of law, the constitution, and judicial processes as the means of governance in Balochistan.'

Call for International Intervention

The BYC has specifically called on the United Nations, global human rights organisations, and the broader international community to take 'immediate notice' of the situation in Noshki and across Balochistan. It urged sustained international pressure on Pakistan to ensure the protection of Baloch people's lives, property, freedoms, and fundamental human rights.

This comes amid longstanding international concern over the human rights situation in Balochistan, a resource-rich province where Pakistani security forces and Baloch nationalist groups have been in conflict for decades. Rights organisations have repeatedly flagged enforced disappearances in the region, though Pakistani authorities have consistently denied systematic abuses.

Pakistan's Position

Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to the BYC's latest statement, as of the time of this report. The government has historically maintained that security operations in Balochistan target militant groups and are conducted within the framework of the law. Independent verification of the BYC's specific claims regarding Noshki has not been possible due to restricted media access to the region.

The BYC's appeal marks one of the most detailed public accounts of the alleged conditions in Noshki in recent months, and is likely to draw fresh scrutiny of Pakistan's conduct in the province from international human rights bodies.