Quetta, Pakistan | August 3: The Balochistan government has extended Section 144 across the province for another 15 days, from August 31 to September 14, citing persistent law and order challenges.
The official notification, issued by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, restricts public activities under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 1898. The measures include:
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Complete ban on the display and use of weapons
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Prohibition of pillion riding and vehicles with tinted glass
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Ban on unregistered motorbikes
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Restriction on public gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, and processions of more than five people
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Prohibition on gatherings with masks, mufflers, or other items that could hinder identification
This is the third consecutive extension since Section 144 was first imposed on August 1, then renewed on August 16, amid rising security threats.
The decision follows a series of coordinated attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) across Balochistan. The group has claimed responsibility for multiple strikes on Pakistani security forces in Panjgur, Kachi, Quetta, Jeewani, Kharan, Buleda, and Dalbandin.
According to a BLA statement, fighters used remote-controlled IEDs to target army vehicles and bomb disposal squads, killing several soldiers and destroying equipment. On August 28, another army vehicle was ambushed in Kolpur, while a grenade attack was launched on the Bandri army camp in Jeewani.
The group also claimed to have seized weapons from police personnel in Mian Ghundi, Quetta, before releasing them with a warning not to aid military operations. In an earlier incident on August 21, the BLA said it “neutralised” a man accused of being an intelligence informant in Kharan.
The government’s continued enforcement of Section 144 highlights the deepening instability in Balochistan, where separatist violence and security crackdowns have escalated.