Quetta, December 1 (NationPress) - A tragic incident in Balochistan has resulted in the death of a child and left several others severely injured following mortar shelling by Pakistani forces targeting unarmed civilians in the Kech district, according to a prominent human rights organization report released on Monday.

The Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, known as Paank, condemned this shocking event, detailing how the attack on November 29 resulted in the death of 13-year-old Yasmeen, daughter of Nasir, and severely injured three others, including 11-year-old Durdanag, daughter of Khalid; 12-year-old Tahira, also daughter of Khalid; and 18-year-old Asiya, daughter of Shamby, in the small town of Garhook Bazaar, located in the Hoshap area of Kech.

According to Paank, Yasmeen tragically succumbed to her injuries after being transported to Karachi for urgent medical care. Meanwhile, Tahira sustained critical fractures to her leg and spine along with shrapnel wounds. The remaining victims received treatment for their injuries, highlighting what the rights organization described as “callous brutality” inflicted upon innocent families.

“This horrific assault exemplifies Pakistan's ongoing genocidal campaign against the Baloch populace, where state-sponsored death squads and the frontier corps engage in indiscriminate terror, shelling homes and devastating civilian lives without consequences. Such actions, particularly when targeting children and non-combatants in populated areas, constitute war crimes and blatant violations of international humanitarian law, leading to widespread fear, instability, and psychological trauma in a region already suffering from enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and collective punishment,” stated Paank.

“Amid rising insurgent attacks on Pakistani forces in the region, these retaliatory actions against civilians only intensify the cycle of violence, while Pakistan's military operates without accountability, breaching commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights treaties,” it added.

Paank urged for immediate international intervention from the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch to investigate these crimes against humanity, impose targeted sanctions on the Pakistani perpetrators, and uphold the Baloch people's right to self-determination. The organization emphasized that the global community must no longer overlook this violence, asserting that justice for Balochistan is long overdue.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) expressed deep concern over the incident, stating that the assault on a civilian area reflects a broader pattern of violence perpetuated by Pakistani authorities, as reported by local residents after similar occurrences.

“Civilian populations, especially women and children, continue to suffer the consequences of indiscriminate force, collective punishment, shelling, and intimidation. These continuous incidents have fostered a climate of fear, instability, and psychological distress throughout the region,” the BYC commented.