Fourteen days have passed, yet the vital road links between Quetta and Karachi, as well as Quetta and Taftan, remain closed. The highways are blocked due to an ongoing protest sit-in organized by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M). The demonstration is calling for the release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, chief organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, along with other female activists.
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The extended blockade has severely impacted the trading and transport sectors. President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Muhammad Ayub Maryani, reported massive financial losses due to the closures, estimating damages at millions of rupees per day.
Importers, exporters, and transporters face daily container demurrage fees, escalating the total losses to $120,000 a day. Over 1,200 trucks, including 847 tankers carrying LPG and petroleum products, remain stranded at the Pakistan-Iran border. Additionally, over 200 trucks loaded with rice and potatoes await departure at Quetta’s NLC dry port.
