The closure of two major national highways in Balochistan for the past ten days has severely disrupted trade and transport, causing significant hardship for the public, business community, and transporters, with daily losses amounting to millions of rupees.
According to President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce, Muhammad Ayub Marriani, traders are facing daily demurrage charges of around $120,000 (approximately Rs33.6 million) solely for container delays, while other financial damages continue to mount.
The blockade began on March 28, following a long march initiated by the Balochistan National Party (BNP) from Wadh to Quetta, in protest against the arrest of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other female leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Authorities have since barred the protesters from entering Quetta.
The BNP has staged a sit-in protest at Lakpass, a strategic junction connecting two major highways. In response, the government has placed containers and dug trenches at the Lakpass Tunnel to halt the march, effectively sealing off the roads.
As a result, two vital routes — the N-40 highway linking Pakistan to Iran, and the N-25 connecting Quetta to Karachi — have remained closed since the night of March 28.
Marriani revealed that more than 1,200 cargo vehicles, including 847 tankers carrying LPG and petroleum products from Iran, are currently stranded at the border due to the closure of the N-40. Each vehicle is incurring approximately $100 in daily demurrage charges.
He added that around 200 trucks loaded with perishable goods such as potatoes and rice, destined for Iran, are stuck at Quetta’s NLC dry port. “These items are at risk of spoilage and cannot be sold in the local market due to low demand and drastically reduced prices,” he warned.
Haji Muzaffar Ali Lehri, owner of Balochistan’s largest transport company, described the current crisis as the worst in recent history. “Our operations have been disrupted for the past three months, and for the last ten days, they have come to a complete halt,” he said.
He emphasized that the route through Mastung connecting Quetta to Karachi is the shortest and most crucial. “We used to run 12 to 15 trucks daily through this corridor. Now, only two to three trucks are taking an alternate, longer, and costlier route via Sibi, Jacobabad, and Sukkur. This detour requires an additional 200 liters of diesel per trip, and fares have increased by at least Rs2,000, discouraging passengers from using the route.”
President of the All Quetta-Taftan Bus Union, Haji Malik Shah Jamaldini, stated that over 100 buses and vans used to operate daily between Quetta and remote regions such as Nushki, Dalbandin, Nokundi, Taftan, Mashkhel, and Kharan. These services have been suspended for the past ten days.
“Many bus owners have purchased vehicles on loans worth Rs30 to 35 million, with monthly installments ranging from Rs500,000 to Rs800,000. On top of that, we have to cover terminal fees, maintenance, and staff salaries — all of which have become overwhelming liabilities,” he said.
Jamaldini added that residents from remote areas rely on these transport services to reach Quetta for medical treatment, education, and basic necessities. “For the past ten days, even patients have been unable to travel, putting the general public under immense stress.”
Marriani stressed that the blockade is not only harming local commerce but is also impacting national and regional trade. “Livelihoods of millions are at stake, and traders are suffering substantial financial losses,” he said.
He urged the government to immediately open the roads and pursue a peaceful resolution to the ongoing protest.
