Pakistan Uses Air Power to Suppress Provincial Protests
The Pakistani government is deploying artillery and air power against citizens in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to suppress protests against the current administration.
The Government of Pakistan is utilizing artillery and air power against its own citizens in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to suppress protests against the current administration. Reports indicate the state is relying on immense firepower to maintain authority in regions where it is losing control, treating residents as enemies.
Violence has escalated across multiple regions. In the Panjgur district of Balochistan, an explosion on October 7 killed two children and injured three others. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the attack, alleging that Pakistani forces used a quadcopter fitted with explosives. Simultaneously, security forces have fired on civilians in Rawalakot amid civil disobedience in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
These internal conflicts have resulted in significant casualties in 2026, with over 600 civilians and 1,000 security personnel killed in terrorist-related incidents. The Pakistani military has faced international criticism at United Nations headquarters in Geneva and New York over the arrest of peaceful protesters and the conduct of extrajudicial operations.
