Despite Billions of Rupees Spent in the Name of Security, Quetta-Karachi Highway Unsafe; Abduction of 4 Passenger Coaches Is a Slap on Government’s Authority: Transporters Action Committee
QUETTA (Daily Qudrat Quetta) – The All Balochistan Transporters Action Committee and prominent transporters Mir Haji Hikmat Lehri, Haji Mir Daulat Lehri, Action Committee President Haji Habibullah Badizai, General Secretary Mir Akbar Lehri, Vice President Haji Musa Jan Achakzai and others have expressed serious concern over the incident near Qalat in which four passenger coaches travelling from Quetta to Karachi were allegedly taken away by unidentified armed men and the passengers were offloaded in an open field. They said that leaving passengers, including women, children, the elderly and the sick, helpless in this manner is extremely regrettable. This incident has raised serious questions about the security situation in Balochistan and the protection of the lives and property of the people.
Four passenger coaches were also abducted three days earlier. They said that the Quetta-Karachi national highway is considered among Balochistan’s most important highways, where thousands of passengers travel daily. If citizens travelling in passenger coaches are not safe and women, children, the elderly and the sick have to face such a situation during travel, how can ordinary citizens consider themselves safe?
Transporters are already beset by various problems, financial difficulties and rising costs, while incidents of insecurity on highways are adding further to their difficulties. They said that the government claims to establish peace and order in the province and provide protection to the people, but the ground reality is raising questions about these claims. The people have the right to know why, despite billions of rupees of resources being spent on establishing peace and order, passengers, transporters and ordinary citizens are not being provided protection. If the safety of citizens travelling on national highways cannot be ensured, then an effective review of the measures taken for peace and order and their results is inevitable.
They said that people travelling in passenger coaches leave their homes with the hope of reaching their destination safely, but such incidents create fear and panic not only among passengers but also among their families. Due to this situation, a sense of insecurity is increasing among transporters, and the passenger transport system may also face difficulties in the future. It is the responsibility of the government and relevant institutions to give the protection of the people top priority and ensure effective security arrangements on national highways.
The All Balochistan Transporters Action Committee and other transporters’ leaders demanded that immediate, transparent and impartial investigations be conducted into the incident, complete facts regarding the passenger coaches and those on board be brought to light, the allegedly involved armed men be arrested and brought to justice, and concrete steps be taken for the protection of passengers and transporters on the Quetta-Karachi and all other important highways of the province. They made clear that providing practical protection to the people, rather than mere assurances, is the basic responsibility of the government and relevant institutions.
