Islamabad, Oct 8 (IANS) Pakistan using artillery and air power against people of its own country in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces – who are holding protests against the present dispensation – indicates that residents in these areas are considered “enemies” and the state is losing control in these areas, a report has detailed.
Thousands of Baloch people have been killed by Pakistan in extrajudicial operations, according to the numbers given by Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DGISPR) on “terrorists” believed to be killed. The authorities have arrested peaceful protesters who demand a response to random killings. Pakistan has faced criticism over its actions at international forums, including the United Nations headquarters in Geneva and New York, according to a report in ‘The North Lines’.
“Pakistan army chief Asim Munir put up a brave face and mouthed blusters against Baluch dissenters and did not even stop short of using artillery and air power against those citizens of his own country in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who are protesting against the present dispensation. These acts are pointers to twin facts. One, those living in these areas are considered enemies and two, the state is losing control in these regions. Small wonder, use of immense fire power is needed to regain control,” the report mentioned.
Pakistan army fears to move in large numbers in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Over 600 civilians and more than 1,000 Pakistani security personnel have been killed in terrorist related incidents in 2026, the report said, citing South Asia Terrorism Portal.
Furthermore, Pakistan has been facing civil disobedience in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). In recent months, communication has been suspended in PoJK and videos of Pakistani security personnel openly firing on civilians in Rawalakot and several other areas went viral on social media.
“Additional security forces have been inducted as if powers that be are aware that it is a matter of time when peaceful protests can transform into an armed resistance. Everyday happenings continue to embarrass the army who call shots in Pakistan,” the North Lines report detailed.
On Wednesday, human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the bombing by Pakistani forces which resulted in death of children in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, terming the incident as another horrific example of the “ongoing collective punishment” and state terrorism against civilians across the province.
The BYC’s statement came after two children were killed and three others injured in an explosion in Gowargo tehsil of Panjgur on Tuesday, with locals alleging that explosives fitted to a quadcopter operated by Pakistani forces caused the blast.
–IANS
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