QUETTA: The road link between Quetta and Karachi, as well as Quetta and Taftan, could not be restored despite the passage of 14 days, as both the highways remain closed due to a protest sit-in staged by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) demanding the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee chief organizer Dr Mahrang Baloch, along with other female activists.

Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) President Muhammad Ayub Maryani said on Wednesday that the trading and business community is facing severe difficulties and suffering massive financial losses due to the closure of these two vital highways for the past two weeks.

“The business community and transporters are incurring losses of millions of rupees on a daily basis, as trucks and trailers are stuck at various points due to the highway closures,” he said. He added that due to container demurrage, importers, exporters and businessmen are collectively suffering financial losses amounting to $120,000 per day.

“More than 1,200 trucks and containers carrying essential goods are stranded at the Pakistan-Iran border,” Mr Maryani told Dawn. These include 847 tankers carrying LPG and other petroleum products from Iran and other countries to Pakistan, he added.

The QCCI president explained that importers are required to pay $100 per container per day in demurrage charges imposed by the authorities concerned.

Additionally, over 200 trucks and containers loaded with rice and potatoes are currently waiting to depart for Iran at Quetta’s NLC dry port.

Government spokesman Shahid Rind said that despite the government offering the protesters an alternative venue — Shahwani Stadium in the Sariab Road area of Quetta — the BNP-M leadership has refused to end the blockade and continues their sit-in at Lakkpass.

However, BNP President Sardar Akhtar Mengal placed the blame on the provincial government, claiming it is responsible for the highway blockades. He said the administration deliberately blocked the roads to prevent the long marchers from entering Quetta, which has forced them to continue their sit-in at Lakpass.

“This is the first government that has blocked highways for its own people, denying them the right to travel,” Mr Mengal added.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2025