The UN office appealed to the government of Pakistan to hold the perpetrators accountable and resolve the plight of ethnic minorities through dialogue.
Rocket launchers and hand grenades were also used in the gunmen’s attack in Duki district last Friday, killing 20 people and injuring seven other workers.
According to Thamin Al-Khaitan, a spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, several such attacks have occurred in the past two months, aimed at stoking ethnic tensions and insecurity in Balochistan province.
He said that under international human rights obligations, it was Pakistan’s responsibility to hold the perpetrators of these attacks accountable and avoid such incidents in future.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern over Pakistan’s decision to ban an organization called the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
This organization was active in the concerns of the Pashtun community in Pakistan.
The UN office stressed that the decision to impose sanctions on the organization needs to be immediately reviewed, to ensure the freedom of expression and the release of arbitrarily detained persons in line with international law.
He urged the Pakistan administration to resolve the problems and pain expressed by the country’s ethnic minorities through political dialogue.
At the same time, human rights activists must protect and respect people’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.