Pakistani forces accused of intimidating Baloch civilians as forced displacement fears intensify

Balochistan [Pakistan] November 1 (ANI) Pakistani security forces have subjected residents of Balochistan’s Surab district to intimidation and physical abuse during house-to-house search operations, raising concerns over civilian safety and growing displacement in Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, large contingents of security personnel entered the Rodeni and Damb areas and searched residential properties. Residents alleged that personnel threatened and assaulted people during the operation. No arrests were reported.
Locals further accused security officials of attempting to force families off their homes and ancestral lands. They also alleged that civilian settlements had repeatedly come under drone attacks.
Families residing near a Pakistani military camp had previously been compelled to relocate, while more than 20 civilians were reportedly detained from Surab bazaar and transferred to the camp.
The latest allegations come against the backdrop of increasing displacement concerns across Balochistan, where residents in several areas have reportedly been instructed to vacate their homes ahead of military operations.
In Kalat district’s Shoor Paarod area, provincial authorities ordered around 5,000 families, representing approximately 30,000 people, to leave their homes by October 30 and relocate to designated camps. Additional Chief Secretary for Home Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat said security forces would forcibly remove residents who failed to comply with the evacuation order.
The Baloch National Movement’s human rights wing, Paank, strongly criticised the directive, arguing that allegations of armed fighters operating in the region and government claims over state ownership of the land could not justify the arbitrary displacement of civilian populations, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.
In its statement, Paank described ancestral land as central to a community’s identity, history and collective existence, rather than simply a geographical possession. The organisation also cautioned that relocating thousands of families to camps in one of Balochistan’s coldest regions ahead of winter could expose vulnerable residents to serious health and survival risks, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)