Curfew in Balochistan's Zehri tehsil linked to civilian arrests, disappearances and deaths

Zehri tehsil in Pakistan's Balochistan province remains under a prolonged curfew, with movement permitted only during designated periods for buying food and supplies. During a recent security operation, roughly 25 residents from the Sunni part of the town were detained and are believed to have been subjected to enforced disappearance. A woman was killed and another woman and a man wounded when a quadcopter attacked them as they collected water, and mobile-phone networks have been disabled throughout the area.

Authorities require special permission for any travel beyond Zehri. The Balochistan Post also cited an earlier raid in the Sohanda area that reportedly resulted in over 20 civilian deaths while the curfew was in effect. These incidents follow a pattern of disappearances across the province, prompting the UN high commissioner for human rights to call for independent investigations into the case of Imran Ali, who was abducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department and allegedly killed. Pakistan's military meanwhile announced the killing of dozens of militants in raids across several districts, though no evidence was provided.