The Pishin gatherings ban took effect on Monday, when the Balochistan government decided to intensify operations against criminals and barred public gatherings in Pishin district with immediate effect. Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove announced the ban while chairing a meeting to review the security situation in Pishin and other areas.
He imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the district. The minister said the protection of citizens’ lives and property was the government’s top priority.
Who attended the Pishin security meeting
The meeting brought together tribal elders and religious scholars from Pishin, along with senior officials and lawmakers. Public Accounts Committee Chairman Asghar Tareen attended, as did lawmakers Syed Zafar Agha and Asfandyar Kakar.
Home Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqat was present, together with the Pishin division commissioner, the deputy inspector general of police, the district police officer and other relevant officials.
The mix of attendees matters. It shows the government sought backing from tribal elders and religious scholars as well as its own officers before imposing the ban, a step that affects daily movement and assembly in the district.
Two more bodies found in Jhal Magsi
Separately, two more men were found dead in Jhal Magsi, taking the death toll in that case to four. Their bodies were dumped along a roadside in the Ghathra area. Police identified them as Maulvi Sadiq Abro and Liaquat Ali Abro.
According to police, five men were abducted by armed men on October 17 while travelling to Khari from Gandawah, within the jurisdiction of Kotrah police station. After the latest discovery, police personnel and a large number of local residents reached the scene.
Police took custody of the bodies and shifted them to the district hospital in Gandawah. After the completion of the necessary legal formalities, the bodies were handed over to the families. Police said further investigation into the incident was underway.
Man shot dead in Kachhi district
In a separate incident, a young man was shot dead by armed assailants in the Sanni area of Kachhi district, police said. The victim was Ghazi Khan, son of Roshan Khan Jatoi and a resident of Dera Murad Jamali.
According to police, armed men targeted him in Sanni and opened fire before fleeing the scene. Police reached the area, took custody of the body and shifted it to a hospital. After the completion of the necessary legal formalities, the body was handed over to the deceased’s family. Police said further investigation into the killing was underway.
What the Pishin gatherings ban means
Section 144 is an emergency power that lets the district administration ban assemblies and gatherings when it judges that public order is at risk. In Pishin, the order follows a security review rather than a single incident, and it sits alongside the government’s decision to intensify operations against criminals across the province.
For residents, the immediate effect is practical. Public gatherings in the district are barred until the order is lifted, and the presence of police and officials at the review meeting signals that enforcement will be close.
The Jhal Magsi and Kachhi cases also show why the government links the ban to a wider security effort. Both cases remain under investigation, and police have not yet named those responsible.
The province’s security picture has been a recurring theme in recent coverage. Pakistan has rejected Afghan Taliban claims about civilian casualties in counter-terrorism operations, while the Senate blocked a move to withdraw diplomatic passport privileges and the National Assembly passed bills before a quorum count ended its sitting. The Punjab Assembly session was also adjourned after a quorum failure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pishin gatherings ban?
It is an order under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that bans gatherings in Pishin district with immediate effect, announced by Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove.
Why was the ban imposed?
The minister announced it after a meeting to review the security situation in Pishin and other areas, at which the government decided to intensify operations against criminals.
What happened in Jhal Magsi?
Two more men were found dead along a roadside in the Ghathra area, taking the toll to four. Five men had been abducted on October 17 while travelling to Khari from Gandawah.
