Shiwar News – Tuesday, 3 November 2026
The publication of a video showing a border guard subjecting an approximately eight-year-old Baloch child to violent and humiliating treatment at the Milak border terminal in Hirmand County has once again drawn attention to the inhumane treatment of child fuel carriers.
In the video, a border guard places the child inside a sack used for carrying petrol bottles, while the child's younger siblings cry and plead for his release.
The incident came just days after footage emerged showing the beating of a Baloch teenage fuel carrier. It has once again raised the question of why violent and degrading treatment of Baloch citizens, including children, continues despite announcements of judicial action against officers responsible for misconduct.
In the published footage, a border guard places the child inside a sack normally used to carry 1.5-litre petrol bottles and appears to intend to take him away.
At the same time, two other young children plead with the officer and attempt to prevent their brother from being taken.
The exact date on which the video was recorded and what happened to the child following the incident remain unknown.
Following the publication of the footage, the Zabol Military Prosecutor's Office announced that it had initiated judicial proceedings and issued an order to identify and refer the officer responsible for the misconduct.
Vahid Alipour Baghi, head of the prosecutor's office, also emphasised that conduct violating legal regulations would be dealt with firmly.
Meanwhile, the same judicial official had announced the previous day, 2 November 2026 (11 Aban 1405), that a border guard accused of beating a Baloch teenage fuel carrier in an incident on Saturday, 31 October 2026 (9 Aban 1405), had been arrested.
He also reported that a criminal security measure had been issued in relation to the officer's immediate commander.
The recurrence of such incidents within a short period raises serious questions about the responsibility of border guard commanders, supervision of personnel and the deterrent effect of judicial action.
Announcing an officer's arrest or ordering a judicial investigation, without clarifying the outcome of proceedings or the measures taken to prevent further violence, cannot adequately address concerns about the safety and dignity of Baloch citizens.
Children who are compelled by poverty, deprivation and the lack of livelihood opportunities to carry a few bottles of petrol in border areas are, above all, victims of economic and social conditions.
Subjecting them to violence and humiliation is not a solution to fuel carrying. Instead, it imposes further suffering on children who should be entitled to protection and safety.