Awaran, Balochistan — May 28, 2025: A complete shutter-down strike is being observed today across Awaran following the call of the Baloch Women Forum to protest the extrajudicial killings of a Baloch woman, Hoori Bibi, and a young man, Naeem Baloch, by Pakistani security forces in the Malaar Machi area of Awaran on the night of May 27. Another elderly woman, Dadi Baloch, was critically injured in the incident.
Local sources report that all shops and businesses in Awaran remain closed, while roads appear deserted, reflecting a strong public response to the strike. The situation underscores the mounting anger and sorrow among the local population over what they describe as continued state-sponsored violence.
According to eyewitnesses and human rights activists, the past week has seen multiple operations by Pakistani forces in the Malaar and Kolwah areas, during which several young men were reportedly detained, killed extrajudicially, and their bodies dumped in remote locations.
The Baloch Women Forum, an organization actively advocating for the rights and empowerment of Baloch women, strongly condemned the incident and called for today’s shutdown as both a form of protest and a show of solidarity with the affected families.
“The silence of Awaran’s marketplace today sends a loud and clear message: the people of Balochistan will not remain quiet in the face of injustice and brutality,” the Baloch Women Forum said in a statement. “This protest is not only against these killings but also a declaration of unity and resistance against systematic oppression.”
The Forum has also called upon the international community to take urgent notice of the ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan and hold the Pakistani government accountable for what it describes as “barbaric and unlawful acts.”
“It is time for the world to listen to the cries of the Baloch people and to act meaningfully in support of their right to life, justice, and dignity,” the statement concluded.
