Quetta, Nov 7 (IANS) Pakistani military operations in Balochistan's Quetta district have forced around 300 Mashwani tribal families to flee their ancestral homes, with the displaced people facing severe difficulties in finding food and shelter amid rain and cold weather, local media reported on Saturday, citing sources.
The families fled Killi Muhammad Khail in Panjpai, located southwest of Quetta, following several days of heightened tensions and military operations.
Reports suggest that shelling by Pakistani forces and the use of heavy weaponry caused damage to several houses.
The displaced included women, children and elderly people, with families facing severe shortages of food, shelter and clean drinking water. Families said they had nowhere to go with their children and remained uncertain about when they could return home, The Balochistan Post reported.
On Wednesday, clashes erupted between Pakistani forces and armed men in the Killi Muhammad Khail area, reportedly leaving a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier dead.
Citing local sources, The Balochistan Post reported that gunfire was heard near an Afghan refugee camp, which was subsequently cordoned off, with residents asked to evacuate.
Condemning the displacement, the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party said that authorities should ensure the safety of residents instead of driving them out of their ancestral areas in the aftermath of attacks.
"Evicting people from their homes and ancestral areas in the name of security is outright injustice and oppression," the party said in a statement.
It called on the authorities to meet the basic needs of displaced families, including food, shelter and healthcare, and ensure their safe and dignified return.
The party maintained that combating militancy and protecting the population were the state's responsibility and that innocent residents should not be subjected to collective punishment.
The displacement of families in Quetta comes against the backdrop of similar grievances raised by farming communities in Gwadar's Shadi Kaur, where evictions and restrictions imposed on the pretext of security reasons have reportedly deprived residents of access to their homes and agricultural lands.
Residents told The Balochistan Post that several families had already been displaced, while landowners, farmers and tenant farmers were being prevented from accessing their orchards and crops ready for harvest. They further said that the restrictions have put agricultural assets valued at tens of millions of rupees at risk.
Last month, human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) strongly condemned Pakistani authorities, accusing them of forcibly displacing thousands of families across Balochistan and stripping people of their ancestral homes, livelihoods and the security of living on their own land.
"For the past several months, thousands of families have been forcibly displaced from various areas of Balochistan. In areas such as Zehri, Sarawan, Kaland, Jiwani, Noshki, Chagai, Kharan, Mand, Dasht, Sani Shoran, Mangchar, Mastung, Mashkay, and many others, the Baloch people have been compelled to abandon their ancestral homes, while notifications to vacate have already been issued for several other areas. This list grows longer with each passing day, and no one knows which settlement's turn it will be tomorrow," the BYC stated.
--IANS
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