RAHIM YAR KHAN: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NH&MP) has closed the 184km portion of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5), from Rohri interchange to Iqbalabad interchange, from 7pm to 7am for all types of vehicular traffic, since Wednesday last due to increasing incidents of robbery by Katcha area gangs, who also killed the son of a local tribal leader in one such bid recently.

However, NH&MP officials claim that the M-5 portion has been closed for “maintenance and repairs”.

According to sources, the decision was taken by the NH&MP authorities because a few days ago, Abdul Rehman Bugti, son of a known tribal leader of Balochistan Jalal Kalpar Bugti, was killed allegedly in the firing of Katcha area dacoits near location No 470 of Murid Shakh interchange in the limits of Ghotki district.

This incident, not confirmed by Sindh police, was shared by some journalists of Sukkur on social media.

Tribesman from Balochistan killed in firing by gangsters

A local tribal elder, residing near the M-5, told this correspondent that on Tuesday night some dacoits of Katcha area attempted to stop some vehicles on M-5. When the drivers tried to speed away, the dacoits opened indiscriminate fire on them.

As a result, Abdul Rehman Bugti, who was in one of the vehicles, was shot and died immediately, while five passengers of a bus, who were injured in the firing, were shifted to Ghotki hospital.

He says the dacoits from Katcha area gangs frequently target vehicles on M-5, especially in Sindh’s jurisdiction at night, posing threat to the motorway users.

Another resident of Iqbalabad interchange area, Irshad, says that due to closure of M-5 portion, it took 18 hours to one of his relatives coming from Karachi on a coach to reach here.

He says quoting his relative that at M-5’s Rohri interchange at 6am on Thursday, the vehicles were diverted by NH&MP officials to the National Highway N-5, causing a massive traffic jam on both sides of the road from Rohri to Sadiqabad. An NH&MP official claimed that repair work was in progress on M-5 between Murid Shakh and Ghotki interchanges and the motorway will be opened on Friday. However, the road was yet not opened for traffic till the filing of this report.

The NH&MP spokesperson did not give the official stance when contacted by this correspondent.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024