The UNPO expresses deep concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan, where an alarming rise in state authorised repression, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and a climate of militirised intimidation continues to silence peaceful calls for the respect of fundamental rights, including the right to self-determination.
The recent terrorist attack at a rally organised by the Balochistan National Party (BNP) in Quetta has further highlighted the dire conditions in the region. Hundreds of BNP members had gathered at a stadium in the capital when a bomb detonated, killing at least 15 persons and wounding more than 30 others. While Pakistan’s leadership condemned the attack as an attempt to destabilise Balochistan, the state’s own escalating campaign of repression against the Baloch people remains largely unaddressed.
Rather than pursuing policies that promote peaceful dialogue and respect for the Baloch peoples’ right to self-determination, the Pakistani state has intensified its crackdown on Baloch civil society. Since the arrest of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Nobel Prize Nominee and leading advocate against enforced disappearances, during a peaceful protest in March 2025, the ability to speak out peacefully has been increasingly limited. The targeting of Dr. Baloch reflects a broader, systemic crackdown on peaceful activism in Balochistan.
Despite the Pakistani government’s claims of safeguarding national security, its recent measures against protestors in Balochistan raise questions regarding spaces for non-violent activism. In Balochistan, recent counterterrorism measures, including the Counter-Terrorism Act 2025, have removed judicial oversight allowing security forces and intelligence agencies to detain individuals for up to three months without charge, engage in ideological profiling, and confiscate property, all without legal recourse.
The use of enforced disappearances has also intensified, with reports of abductions in multiple districts, including the recent disappearances of Addam Hussain Kurd in Quetta, Saleh Naeem in Kech, Shoaib Baloch in Panjgur, and others. Many of those taken remain missing, denied contact with family, legal representation, or explanation. Concerns have also been raised about extrajudicial killings, such as the reported state-backed murder of Qaim Hayat, contributing to heightened fear and tension among Baloch communities and state authorities.
In an effort to suppress public protest, the Pakistani government has increasingly resorted to communication blackouts. On August 6, authorities imposed a province-wide shutdown of mobile internet in Balochistan, effectively cutting off over 14 million people from the outside world. This blackout coincided with protests planned for the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance on 30 August, effectively preventing peaceful gatherings and highlighting the state’s hostility toward peaceful activism.
Since early October 2025, the tehsil of Zehri, in Khuzdar district, has been subjected to an intense military lockdown. The authorities employed a heavy-handed approach, including the deployment of tanks, artillery, drone strikes, and gunship helicopters. The siege has also imposed a deliberate humanitarian blockade, cutting off access to food, water, and medical care, alongside a full curfew and a complete communications blackout – demonstrating the State’s reliance on enforced invisibility as part of its repression of Balochistan.
These patterns of violence and repression in Balochistan are not isolated incidents. They form part of a long-standing and deeply entrenched policy of control and intimidation across Balochistan, in which enforced disappearances, intimidation, and militarised crackdowns have become common tools to silence dissent. The people of Balochistan have historically faced exclusion, military occupation, and systematic denial of their basic rights. Today, these practices continue openly, affecting daily life and deepening fear.
The UNPO therefore urges the Pakistani government to respect the fundamental rights of the Baloch people, including their right to self-determination, and end its campaign of intimidation and repression. UNPO will continue to support the peaceful advocacy of the Baloch people as they stand for their right to self-determination.
