Pakistan’s Offensive Ravages Zehri Farmers, Turning Fields into Ruins

The agrarian town of Zehri, located about 120 kilometres from Khuzdar, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis as Pakistani military operations devastate the region. Civilians are trapped under curfew, with homes destroyed, farmlands set ablaze, and access to food, healthcare, and basic services cut off amid a strict communication blackout.

Reports indicate that shelling and artillery strikes have demolished houses and destroyed vital infrastructure, including water systems and solar installations. Farmers, whose livelihoods depend on cotton, wheat, and fruit crops, have been hit hardest. In Kochav, fully ripened cotton fields were reduced to ashes, erasing months of labour, while similar destruction has been reported in Chashma, Dhandar, and Morinki villages.

The humanitarian toll worsened after a drone strike in Zehri’s Norgama area killed four people, though identities remain unverified due to the ongoing internet shutdown. Pakistani authorities claim the operation targets Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fighters, but independent verification is impossible under current media restrictions. Previous airstrikes, including one on September 18 that killed three people, two of them women, have raised concerns over indiscriminate civilian targeting.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the offensive as a deliberate attack on civilians, describing the situation as a “humanitarian emergency.” The spokesperson highlighted systematic violence against women, children, and the elderly, accusing the army of blocking aid, sealing routes, and enforcing a media blackout actions they called potential “war crimes.”

The BYC has urged the immediate restoration of electricity, food, and medical services, while calling for unrestricted access for journalists, aid agencies, and human rights organizations. They appealed to the United Nations and international bodies to intervene promptly to halt the escalating crisis in Zehri.