Excerpt from the Targeting of Minority “Others” in Pakistan
On Christmas Eve 2012, Tatchell reports that Pakistan “launched a new military crackdown in annexed and occupied Balochistan. Helicopter gunships bombarded pro-nationalist villages, resulting in the reported destruction of nearly 200 houses and the deaths of 50 civilians, including women and children … The main military sweep took place in the Awaran, Panjur and Makran districts of Balochistan. Hundreds of villagers were rounded up and interrogated. Many have since disappeared. Some were later found dead, with their mutilated bodies showing signs of torture … Throughout the operational area, the military have imposed a 24/7 curfew, which prevents families leaving their homes to collect food and water and to tend their crops and livestock.