Balochistan was effectively isolated from the rest of the country on Tuesday as all national highways were blocked in solidarity with traders and daily wage workers protesting in Chaman for the past seven months. Their grievances stem from the border closure and the imposition of a single-document regime for movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The call to block highways was issued by Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), a six-party opposition alliance, in support of the ongoing sit-in in Chaman. The protestors demand the withdrawal of the new regulation and the reinstatement of the previous system, which allowed travel using Pakistani National Identity Cards and Afghan ID cards (Teskera).
Major highways such as Quetta-Chaman, Quetta-Zhob, Quetta-Dera Ghazi Khan, and Quetta-Karachi, as well as roads connecting Balochistan with Karachi, Punjab, and Khyber PakhtÂunkhwa, were closed at various points. TTAP workers and supporters erected barricades and large boulders, halting all traffic between Balochistan and other provinces.
As a result, numerous vehicles, including passenger coaches, buses, and trucks transporting import and export goods, were stranded on the highways and roads. The suspension of Afghan transit trade compounded the situation, with trucks carrying transit goods stranded on both sides of the border.
Despite the inconvenience faced by travelers, including women and children, in the scorching heat, the TTAP workers and supporters dismantled the barricades and cleared the roads during the night, restoring traffic flow.
Fortunately, no adverse incidents were reported from any area of Balochistan during the highway and road closures.
