Don’t Ignore Youth or They Will Take to the Mountains”: Sadiq Achakzai Demands Jobs and End to Border Smuggling Harassment of Traders
**Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta):**
**Haji Sadiq Khan Achakzai**, Chairman of the **Mazloom Awami Tehreek (MAT)**, has warned that the youth of Balochistan, the province’s brightest future, must be given employment opportunities, or they may be forced to turn to the mountains in frustration. He emphasized that government inaction, widespread unemployment, and economic hardship have fueled unrest, and that youth need guidance towards **unity, rights awareness, and constructive struggle** rather than hatred or violence.
Speaking at an event organized by the **Mazloom Awami Tehreek Youth Wing** at the **Quetta Press Club**, Achakzai condemned night-time raids on shops and warehouses under the pretext of anti-smuggling operations, calling it **economic oppression of traders**. He urged that anti-smuggling measures be conducted at **borders, not against local businessmen**, and criticized the provincial government for remaining silent in the face of injustice.
Achakzai highlighted the lack of **industries, agricultural support, and employment opportunities** in Balochistan, noting that border trade was the only source of livelihood for many, which has now been severely restricted. He stressed that Balochistan, rich in natural resources, has been **deprived of its own wealth due to government inefficiency**.
Other speakers, including **MAT Central President Abbas Khan Drani**, Coordinator of the **Prime Minister’s Youth Program Haider Khan Achakzai**, and various youth and women leaders, echoed the call for youth empowerment, employment generation, and the need for unity and awareness. They warned that if talented youth continue to be ignored and deprived of opportunities, the province—and ultimately the country—faces deeper social and economic crises.
Haider Khan Achakzai also highlighted the **Prime Minister’s Youth Portal**, a mobile-accessible platform offering loans and project opportunities to enable young people to apply for economic and educational initiatives. He urged youth to utilize these resources and become active participants in shaping their future.
The speakers collectively stressed that **Balochistan’s mineral wealth and resources** should benefit its people, not remain underutilized, and that immediate action is required to provide employment and educational opportunities to prevent further disillusionment among the province’s youth.
This event reinforced **MAT’s commitment to defending citizens’ rights, empowering youth, and opposing government policies that undermine Balochistan’s social and economic development**.
