Journalist’s family martyred by BLA in Zehri over social media post

Zahid Baloch's posts on social media platform X, his family's home in Zehri was attacked on the night of October 3 by armed men he identified as belonging to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

QUETTA: The Baloch journalist community and social media users are condemning a brutal attack that resulted in the deaths of two family members of local journalist Zahid Baloch from Zehri District.

According to Zahid Baloch’s posts on social media platform X, his family’s home in Zehri was attacked on the night of October 3 by armed men he identified as belonging to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The attack left his father and brother with serious, life-threatening injuries.

After being initially treated in hospitals in Zehri and Quetta, the two victims were transferred to Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, where they later fell into a coma and succumbed to their injuries. In an emotional online post, the journalist confirmed their deaths, stating, “My father and brother have been martyred today.”

Zahid Baloch alleged that the assault was an act of collective punishment against him and his family due to social media posts he had made that were critical of the BLA’s narrative. “I had made some posts on social media about BLA and they took everything from me. These are very cruel people,” he wrote.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage online, with many users and media freedom advocates condemning it as a barbaric tactic to silence free speech and intimidate journalists in the region.

 

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