QUETTA: Balochistan’s women parliamentarians, including Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Ghazala Gola, have strongly condemned the killing of a mother and her daughter in Noshki, describing the attack on women inside their home as a “heinous act against humanity”.

They said those responsible could not claim to represent or serve the Baloch people.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker and PPP Women’s Wing provincial president Ghazala Gola, Adviser for Sports Meena Majeed, Education Minister Raheela Hamid Durrani and MPA Hadia Nawaz denounced the killings and demanded action against the perpetrators.

The sports adviser said the mother, Bibi Hanifa, was a government employee, while the family had been affected by floods and their house had been rebuilt with assistance from the Pakistan Army.

Term attack on mother, daughter inside home a ‘heinous act against humanity’

“The only fault of the mother and daughter was that they were living peacefully as ordinary citizens,” she said, questioning what kind of “Baloch identity or honour” allowed armed men to enter homes and kill women.

She said the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and “Fitna al Hindustan” were targeting not only security personnel but also innocent civilians, including women and children. She said the government and security forces were taking action against terrorists and would defeat elements seeking to destabilise Balochistan.

The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

Ms Majeed urged citizens to help identify the armed men who committed the “heinous act” and play their role in countering terrorism. She also criticised the silence of organisations that claim to champion human rights, saying the killings of Bibi Hanifa and Hafsa were an attack on all peaceful and progressive people of Balochistan.

Education Minister Raheela Hamid Durrani said the killing of women inside their home was deeply disturbing and questioned the direction in which society was heading.

“It is difficult to understand how such violence can take place in the 21st century,” she said, adding that the killings of Bibi Hanifa and Bibi Hafsa were tragic and that the absence of condemnation from various quarters was equally concerning.

She said women were protected under religious principles as well as international law, including during armed conflicts.

Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola said the parliamentarians could not remain silent over the killings and vowed that those involved would be brought to justice.

“As parliamentarians, we will continue to raise our voice for women’s rights,” she said.

The women lawmakers said the incident had caused grief across Noshki and Balochistan and called for collective efforts to counter terrorism and protect innocent citizens, particularly women and children.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026