Baloch National Movement urges nations to recognise Pakistan as "terror state" over civilian deaths in Tirah valley airstrike

Tirah Valley [Pakistan], September 23 (ANI): The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has strongly condemned a reported airstrike by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the "Tirah valley" of Khyber District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which it claims killed more than 30 civilians, including children.

The Baloch National Movement also called on civilised nations and the international community to recognise Pakistan as a "terror state."

"We call on civilized nations and the international community to recognize Pakistan as a state that wields its power against its own people -- a terror state that crushes peaceful political movements through brute force, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. When citizens, in response to such oppression, exercise their right to defend themselves, the state retaliates with collective punishment and ruthless violence, " Baloch National Movement wrote in an X post.

In a statement released via social media platform X, the BNM called the attack part of a recurring pattern of state violence against its own citizens. A video widely circulated online reportedly shows graphic scenes of the aftermath, with children among the casualties.

"This is not the first such atrocity-the Pakistan Army has repeatedly used its air power against citizens," the BNM said in its statement. Citing a recent incident in Balochistan, the organisation alleged that earlier this month a Pakistan Army drone strike in Zehri Tehsil, Khuzdar District, near the Tarasani Causeway, killed four members of a single family, including two women and a man, and injured five others.

The BNM accused the state of systematically targeting civilian populations under the guise of security operations, stating that there is "documented evidence" of repeated air bombardments and resulting civilian deaths.

The BNM, a political organisation advocating for Baloch rights and independence, has long accused the Pakistani state of human rights abuses in Balochistan and other regions. In its latest statement, the group extended its "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims of the Tirah Valley incident and expressed solidarity with the Pashtun people. "The Baloch stand in solidarity with the oppressed Pashtun nation against this injustice," the statement concluded.

According to various Pakistani media outlets, including Dawn, the killing of people in the volatile Tirah Valley has triggered a wave of public outrage. Local residents, civil society members, and lawmakers have strongly condemned the incident, insisting that those responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians be held accountable. (ANI)

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