Balochistan's civilian life crushed under expanding security clampdown

Balochistan [Pakistan] November 19 : Road blockages, curfews, and continuous internet suspensions have brought daily life to a halt in several parts of Balochistan, creating widespread displacement, disrupting services, and deepening uncertainty.

Residents from Zehri stated that a sweeping curfew has emptied entire neighbourhoods, forcing hundreds of families to flee.

They alleged that Pakistani security forces fire at anyone seen outside after 5 pm, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, locals estimate that around 500 families have escaped in recent days, leaving crops unharvested and livestock unattended. Some accused the forces of setting up multiple camps and ordering families to vacate their homes, while others reported a hotel struck by mortar fire, shops burned, and traders forcibly disappeared.

In Quetta, residents said the city has transformed into a tightly controlled security zone, with key routes blocked or heavily restricted without prior announcements. Many criticised the government of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, saying it has shifted the consequences of its governance failures onto the public.

Traffic gridlocks have worsened on routes leading to courts, hospitals and administrative offices, and restrictions around Hali Road and Model Town areas near the Chief Minister's House have added to the paralysis.

Train services connecting Quetta with Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar remain suspended, while passenger buses were briefly banned ahead of Baloch Martyrs' Day before the decision was partially reversed.

Mobile internet has been suspended for a seventh consecutive day across numerous districts, and officials say the shutdown may be extended further.

Authorities cite escalating security threats, but residents, students, businesses and journalists say the blackout has severely obstructed their work.

In Gwadar, a sudden ban on oil-transport vehicles has hit drivers hard, cutting off what they described as one of their last remaining sources of income. They say border trade routes were already closed, and the new restrictions have pushed them deeper into unemployment, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Opposition lawmakers argue that these sweeping controls show a government losing grip rather than restoring order, warning that continued shutdowns, movement restrictions and worsening insecurity are driving the province toward a larger crisis, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

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