Quetta: The ongoing protests demanding the recovery of missing persons in Balochistan have entered their fourth consecutive day, causing the closure of three major highways in the province.
The affected roads include the Quetta-Karachi Highway and Quetta-Panjgur Highway, which remain blocked at Surab, while the Quetta-Taftan Highway connecting Pakistan to Iran is closed at Kardgap, Mastung.
Protesters continue to brave severe cold weather, worsening the situation for travelers and especially truck drivers stranded on these blocked routes.
The Quetta-Taftan Highway was blocked at Kardgap by members of the Sarprah tribe, who are demanding the recovery of over eight individuals allegedly missing for an extended period.
Similarly, the Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Panjgur Highways were shut down at Surab by relatives of nine missing persons from Khuzdar’s Zehri area, who reportedly disappeared earlier this year.
At a press conference in Quetta two days ago, Nasrullah Baloch, the head of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), stated that the failure to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances had forced families to stage protests on highways.
However, Balochistan’s Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has taken a strong stance against these protests, declaring that the government will not allow demonstrations that disrupt public movement.
Speaking to the media, he described the issue of missing persons as a “controversial subject”, alleging that it is being used for anti-government propaganda.
The Chief Minister also warned of action against deputy commissioners who fail to clear the blocked highways.
