QUETTA: Lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly on Wednesday voiced grave concerns over the deteriorating security and economic situation in Makran, highlighting a transport strike caused by extortion at checkpoints and enforced disappearances.

The assembly members demanded immediate government intervention to resolve the crisis, which has paralysed border trade, and called for an investigation into a criminal complaint filed against a prominent leader.

The strike has persisted for days, halting commerce and daily life, National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said during the session.

“Looting and extortion are occurring openly at every checkpoint, and anyone raising their voice is being made to disappear,” Mr Malik said. He noted the worsening economic conditions and said that FIRs are being filed against anyone who speaks up for their rights.

The impact on residents has been severe, with transportation options dwindling.

“Buses across Makran have been suspended for two months, pushing the fares of small vehicles up to Rs 40,000, while plane tickets also start from Rs 40,000,” Parliamentary Secretary Mir Asghar Rind said, urging the Transport Department to resolve the standoff.

Maulana Hidayatur Rahman, a member of the Haq-do-Tahrik, alleged the scale of the extortion is vast, claiming that five checkpoints collect between Rs 10-15 crore daily.

Mr Rahman also told the assembly that an FIR registered against him in Qila Abdullah declared him a proclaimed offender.

“Despite previous FIRs, I will continue to raise my voice against injustice and oppression,” he said.

Opposition leader Mir Younus Aziz Zehri said SHOs who illegally register FIRs and ignore the speaker’s directives should face consequences. The speaker assured the SHO would be summoned and asked Mr Rahman to provide details.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary Majid Badini said that agriculture in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad faces new taxes despite calls for flood relief.

He highlighted that Jaffarabad municipal workers haven’t been paid for four months. The speaker instructed the minister to address this with the employees.

Resolution

Separately, the assembly unanimously adopted a resolution condemning a recent attack on a home in Buleda, Kech District, that killed six people.

Provincial Minister Mir Zahoor Buledi, who presented the resolution, called the incident a “shameful and inhumane act” and accused India of funding the violence to destabilise the region.

“Terrorists linked to India targeted women and children, even burning their bodies,” Mr Buledi stated. He accused India of increasing funding for its proxy groups following its “defeat on May 9” and urged the federal government to raise the issue of Indian terrorism internationally and push to have the country blacklisted under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regulations.

Meena Majeed, an adviser to the chief minister, echoed the condemnation. “Targeting women and children in their homes is against Baloch, Islamic and human traditions,” she said.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026