Balochistan — the region in Pakistan that keeps flaring up again and again! The situation in central Balochistan has suddenly turned tense. In Surab district, a curfew has been imposed at night, barring people from stepping outside their homes. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring district of Khuzdar, orders have been issued to shut down all businesses. So what exactly is happening in Balochistan? On one hand, midnight curfews. On the other, stories of a 19-year-old boy going missing. And alongside all this, open killings! What exactly are the security forces doing there? And why are human rights groups worried? Let’s take a detailed look.
Starting with Surab district — the situation there has suddenly spiralled out of control. That’s why district officials issued an urgent notice, imposing a night curfew across the district from August 9 to 15. The timings are as follows: every day from 8 pm to 9 am. That means people are effectively confined to their homes for a full 13 hours. There is no permission to step outside even for urgent work. Officials say the decision was taken purely to maintain law and order, while also warning that strict action will be taken against anyone who breaks the rules.
The situation is much the same in Khuzdar district, which lies next to Surab. While a full curfew hasn’t been imposed there, all business activity at night has been brought to a halt. Markets, shops, and hotels must remain shut from 8 pm to 10 am. Since Balochistan experiences intense heat, people tend to move around and conduct business mostly at night. With such restrictions imposed precisely during that time, local traders and ordinary residents are facing serious hardship.
Officials, however, are presenting this purely as a security measure. But Baloch human rights activists say the real story is something else entirely. They claim that a few recent, disturbing incidents are the actual reason behind these restrictions. The first of these is the case of Saeed Ahmed, a 19-year-old labourer from Surab district who has gone missing. Human rights groups have openly alleged that, last month, this young man was forcibly picked up by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, together with the Frontier Corps. So far, however, the Pakistani government has offered no clarity on the matter.