Balochistan’s Zehri under curfew: Civilian killings, detentions and disappearances; what we know
A prolonged curfew and reported military operation in Zehri tehsil of Pakistan’s Balochistan province have triggered fresh allegations of detentions, enforced disappearances and civilian casualties.According to a report by The Balochistan Post, Pakistani security forces detained around 25 residents from the Sunni area during the operation and allegedly subjected them to enforced disappearance. Quoting sources,news agency ANI reported that a woman was also killed in a quadcopter attack while she was collecting water, while another woman and a man were wounded.Mobile phone services have reportedly been suspended across Zehri, while residents face restrictions on movement. The Balochistan Post said the area has remained under curfew for months, with residents allowed to leave only during designated hours to purchase essential goods. Travel outside the area reportedly requires authorisation from security forces.
Earlier allegations and UN concerns
The Post also reported that Pakistani forces had allegedly killed more than 20 civilians during an operation in the Sohanda area while the curfew was in force.The latest allegations follow a series of reported enforced disappearances elsewhere in Balochistan. On September 2, the local media reported that four people had allegedly gone missing after being detained in Quetta and Dera Bugti, while four previously reported missing persons were recovered from Karachi, Quetta and Hyderabad.The issue has also drawn concern from UN human rights experts. On Saturday, the Office of the UN high commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) raised concerns over the alleged enforced disappearance, torture and extrajudicial killing of Imran Ali.The UN experts said Ali was abducted from his apartment on August 27, 2025, by around 20 personnel from Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). They said people previously detained with him later confirmed that he had been held and allegedly tortured.A police officer reportedly told Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances in August 2026 that Ali had been killed during an alleged encounter in May. The UN experts called for an independent investigation, forensic examination and identification of six other bodies reportedly brought to a hospital alongside his remains.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military said on Friday that its forces had killed 48 militants in raids across Mastung, Sibi, Quetta and Kalat over 72 hours, describing those killed as “Khawarij” and “terrorists” without providing evidence, AP reported.
