Protest Call in Panjgur: Cleric Warns Border Closures Amount to “Economic Massacre”; Announces Province-wide Agitation

Panjgur:Maulana Hidayat-ul-Rahman Baloch, provincial Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami and member of the Balochistan Assembly, on Sunday strongly condemned the ongoing closure of border crossings and warned that shutting the borders without providing alternative livelihoods amounts to an “economic massacre” for millions in the region.

Addressing a public jirga organized by the Hak Do (Right to Livelihood) movement in Panjgur, Maulana Hidayat said the border shutdown has created a severe economic crisis across Makran and Rakhshan divisions. He said many families can no longer afford basic necessities, school fees or medical expenses, and some parents have been forced to withdraw their children from school.

“The closure of borders without alternate employment is killing our people’s livelihoods,” he said. “We will announce a province-wide protest schedule and stage a sit-in in front of the Balochistan Assembly to press our demands.”

Maulana Hidayat urged local representatives from affected divisions to adopt a united strategy to protect jobs and incomes, and called on the public to decide between “staying hungry or uniting for their livelihoods.” He criticized the provincial government as ineffective and accused its leaders of lacking the authority to resolve the crisis, urging mass mobilization — proposing a march from Chaman to Gwadar with up to 100,000 people converging on Quetta — to force officials into action.

Speakers at the jirga included Ashraf Sagar, divisional head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Hak Do district organizer Mulla Farhad, Border Defence leader Najib Salim, and Hak Do deputy organizer Hafiz Siraj Ahmed, among others. Organizers warned that unless border trade is restored or viable alternatives provided, social and economic distress in the border districts will deepen.

The Hak Do movement has demanded immediate reopening of official trade crossings and called on authorities to roll out relief and employment measures for affected communities. Local leaders stressed peaceful protest but vowed sustained agitation until concrete steps are taken to reopen border trade or offset its economic impact.