‘Targeting innocent children unacceptable’: Rights body slams Pakistan for Balochistan blast

Quetta: Terming the incident as another horrific example of the "ongoing collective punishment" and state terrorism against civilians across the province, human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Thursday strongly condemned the bombing by Pakistani forces which resulted in death of children in Balochistan’s Panjgur district.

The remarks 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.

Citing sources, The Balochistan Post reported that the children were playing in Fateh Ali Bazaar area when they found a suspicious object hanging from a tree, which exploded after they tampered with it.

The deceased were identified as nine-year-old Arman and 10-year-old Amaal, while nine-year-old Shahid, seven-year-old Zahid, and 12-year-old Noorullah sustained severe injuries.

“Targeting innocent children is unacceptable under any circumstances. This is not merely an incident but a policy to perpetuate Baloch genocide in Balochistan through fear, violence, and collective punishment. This continuum of state oppression with every new incident further exposes the fact that Baloch lives and human lives in Balochistan are being treated with utter disregard,” the BYC stated.

The rights body called for an immediate end to the ongoing collective punishment against Baloch citizens, military operations, and grave violations of human rights by Pakistani forces.

It stressed that accountability must be established for the murder of innocent children, while the people of Balochistan must be granted the right to live with protection, justice, freedom, and their political rights.

“Even more alarming is that, despite such incidents occurring daily, there is no effective response from human rights organizations and the international community. The ongoing bloodshed in Balochistan raises questions about the silence of all those institutions that claim to defend the rights of every human being. We demand that state terrorism in Balochistan be stopped immediately and those responsible for war crimes be held accountable,” the BYC added.

The Panjgur incident comes against the backdrop of rising civilian casualties in Pakistani military drone and quadcopter operations in Balochistan.

Last month, as many as four young men were killed and two others injured after the Pakistani military carried out a drone strike on a group that had gone for a picnic in the Balicha region of Tump, in Balochistan’s Kech district, local media reported.

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