Pakistan Army demolishes Baloch civilian homes in Awaran, rights body condemns
Synopsis
Pakistan Army bulldozed the homes of two Baloch families in Awaran on 13 May — families whose sons had already been forcibly disappeared and later found dead with signs of torture. Rights body Paank says this is collective punishment in action, and is now calling on the UN to intervene as two more disappearances and a fresh killing are reported.
Key Takeaways
Paank condemned the demolition of homes belonging to Niaz Baloch and Huzoor Bakhsh Baloch in Awaran district on 13 May .
Two sons of Niaz Baloch — Zaheer Niaz and Mehraj Niaz — were forcibly disappeared on 28 February 2025 and later found dead in March 2025.
Student Haleem Baloch , 27, was allegedly abducted from Hub Chowki on 17 May by CTD, Rangers, and Military Intelligence personnel.
Driver Kiyya Baloch , 33, was reportedly taken from his home on 23 April 2026 by Frontier Corps personnel.
Elderly resident Sher Dil was killed in alleged Pakistani military firing in Kech district's Drachkoh area on Tuesday.
Paank has called on the United Nations and international rights bodies to hold perpetrators accountable.
Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, on Thursday, 21 May strongly condemned the demolition of civilian homes by the Pakistan Army in the Awaran district of Balochistan, calling it part of a systematic policy of collective punishment against Baloch families.
What Happened in Awaran
According to Paank, during a military operation on 13 May in the Peer Mashkai, Kallar area of Awaran district, Pakistani forces bulldozed the homes of Niaz Baloch and Huzoor Bakhsh Baloch. The rights body described the demolitions as a direct act of retribution against civilian families with no legal sanction.
The organisation noted that the Pakistan Army had previously forcibly disappeared two sons of Niaz Baloch — Zaheer Niaz and Mehraj Niaz — on 28 February 2025. The tortured and mutilated body of Mehraj Niaz was subsequently recovered on 3 March 2025, while Zaheer Niaz was found dead on 26 March 2025. 'Their killings were widely viewed as acts of extrajudicial execution and collective punishment against the family,' Paank stated.
Fresh Enforced Disappearances Reported
Separately, Paank reported two additional enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Haleem Baloch, a 27-year-old student, was allegedly abducted from Hub Chowki on 17 May during an early-morning raid conducted by personnel of Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Rangers, and Military Intelligence.
In a second case, Kiyya Baloch, a 33-year-old driver employed in the UAE, was reportedly taken from his home on 23 April 2026 by personnel of Pakistan's Frontier Corps. Paank said both individuals were removed without any legal process, leaving their families in fear and uncertainty.
Elderly Man Killed in Kech District
In a separate incident, an elderly man identified as Sher Dil was killed in a firing incident allegedly carried out by Pakistani military forces in the Drachkoh area of Kech district on Tuesday, according to local sources cited by the Balochistan Post. The circumstances of the killing have not been independently verified.
Rights Body Calls for International Action
Paank urged international human rights organisations and the United Nations to take immediate notice of what it described as grave abuses, and to hold the perpetrators accountable. 'This incident reflects the ongoing policy of collective punishment being carried out across Balochistan, where entire families are targeted through enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, harassment, and destruction of property,' the organisation said.
The repeated pattern of alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and property destruction in Balochistan has drawn sustained criticism from rights groups, even as Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to these specific allegations. International scrutiny of the situation in the province is expected to intensify.
Point of View
Death in custody, then destruction of the family's property. That pattern, if accurate, points to a deliberate deterrence strategy rather than collateral damage. What is notable is that Paank's documentation is increasingly granular, with names, dates, and operational units named — making it harder to dismiss as unverified. The UN and international rights bodies have repeatedly been petitioned on Balochistan; the absence of any meaningful international enforcement mechanism remains the central accountability gap. Until that changes, condemnations alone are unlikely to alter ground realities.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Pakistan Army do in Awaran, Balochistan?
According to rights body Paank, the Pakistan Army bulldozed the homes of Niaz Baloch and Huzoor Bakhsh Baloch in the Peer Mashkai, Kallar area of Awaran district during a military operation on 13 May. Paank described the demolitions as collective punishment against families whose members had previously been forcibly disappeared and killed.
Who were Zaheer Niaz and Mehraj Niaz?
Zaheer Niaz and Mehraj Niaz were the two sons of Niaz Baloch, whose home was demolished in Awaran. According to Paank, both were forcibly disappeared on 28 February 2025; Mehraj's tortured body was recovered on 3 March 2025 and Zaheer was found dead on 26 March 2025.
Who is Paank and why is it raising these concerns?
Paank is the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement. It documents alleged abuses by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and destruction of civilian property, and regularly calls on the UN and international bodies to intervene.
What are the latest enforced disappearance cases reported in Balochistan?
Paank reported that student Haleem Baloch, 27, was abducted from Hub Chowki on 17 May by CTD, Rangers, and Military Intelligence personnel. Separately, driver Kiyya Baloch, 33, was reportedly taken from his home on 23 April 2026 by Frontier Corps personnel. Both were allegedly removed without legal process.
Was anyone killed in recent Pakistani military operations in Balochistan?
Yes, according to local sources cited by the Balochistan Post, an elderly man named Sher Dil was killed in alleged Pakistani military firing in the Drachkoh area of Kech district on Tuesday. The incident has not been independently verified.
