Balochistan Traders Warn of Strike as Highway Extortion Disrupts Supply Chain
Quetta: The Central Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan has warned of a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike if the government fails to restore security on the province’s highways, claiming that extortion and abductions have severely disrupted the retail goods supply chain.
Addressing a press conference, the association’s president, Abdul Rahim Kakar, alleged that trucks transporting goods from Karachi to Quetta are being intercepted in Mastung, Kalat, Surab, and Khuzdar, where armed groups demand large sums of money. He claimed that trucks carrying goods worth millions of rupees are looted and, in some cases, set on fire if extortion demands are not met.
The Balochistan Retail Goods Association has announced an indefinite suspension of transportation services, warning that the move could lead to shortages of flour, sugar, medicines, infant food, and other essential commodities across the province.
The traders’ body urged the government to re-establish its writ and ensure security on major highways, warning that failure to do so would result in a province-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike. It said the government would bear responsibility for any resulting economic losses, inflation, or supply shortages.
