Pashtunkhwa MAP Condemns Zaranj Rickshaw Ban, Calls It Economic Death for Hundreds of Families

**Quetta (Daily Qudrat):** The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (MAP) has strongly criticized the ban on Zaranj rickshaws in Quetta and surrounding areas, calling it an “economic murder” that has affected the livelihoods of hundreds of families.

In a provincial press release, the party stated that the administration and government actions have not aimed at providing relief to citizens or creating employment opportunities for unemployed youth. Instead, these measures have been consistently anti-people and economically destructive. The release highlighted that severe inflation and extreme unemployment have already caused public distress, and available job opportunities are being gradually eliminated by the government and administration under Form-47 rules.

The ban on border trade has further crippled Quetta’s commerce and businesses. Ongoing raids on showrooms, warehouses, and markets by customs, excise, and security forces have resulted in the seizure of goods worth millions of rupees, causing substantial financial losses to traders. The release criticized the illegal confiscation of goods within city limits after border clearance, calling it a tactic to increase personal wealth of officials while leaving thousands of households struggling.

The MAP pointed out that restrictions on larger vehicles and disruptions in traffic flow had already created problems, and now even small Zaranj rickshaws are being fined heavily by traffic police, whether loaded or empty.

The party demanded that Zaranj rickshaws be legally registered to restore employment for hundreds of young operators and their families. The press release also called for the immediate lifting of the ban and the implementation of pro-people, pro-trader policies, including the revival of border trade, to restore Quetta’s severely damaged economic situation.