QUETTA, Feb 8: The road to Chaman, despite being an international trade route, is insecure as cargo vehicles are looted with impunity near the Piralzai jungle, refugee camp and Qila Abdullah bazaar, according to an elder of the Malizai clan of the Achakzai tribe.

Haji Abdul Baqar Khan Achakzai was addressing a press conference on behalf of other tribal elders here at the press club on Thursday.

Criticising the local administration and security forces, he said that they had promised to tackle the situation in five days but they had not kept their word.

Highlighting the importance of the commercial activity in Chaman, he said that the town was the trade gateway for Afghanistan and Central Asian states, adding that the highway had become more vital in the wake of the Gwadar port but lawlessness was affecting the trade activity.

Haji Baqar said that about 30 cargo vehicles had been looted during the past month, adding that incidents of snatching of cash, jewellery and cell phones were also common in the Qila Abdullah Bazaar.

“Offficials of the local administration and law-enforcement agencies were told about the identities of robbers but it seems that security forces are helpless and cannot arrest these criminals and protect people travelling on the highway,” he said.

He said that a week ago, traders of the Malizai tribe had decided to take action in Qila Abdullah against the criminals but officials of the Frontier Corps, Levies and police had stopped us at Khojak Pass and asked us to wait for five days.

Haji Bakar said that they had presented four demands – registeration of FIRs against criminals, recovery of the looted goods, assurance that the highway would be safe for trade vehicles and arrest of the criminals.