Border Closure in Balochistan Amounts to Economic Genocide, Says National Party

Quetta:The Balochistan chapter of the National Party has strongly criticized the prolonged closure of border trade routes with Afghanistan and Iran, calling it an “economic genocide” of the local population. In an official statement issued by the party’s provincial spokesperson, it was stated that thousands of families in Chaman, Nushki, Chaghi, Panjgur, Turbat, and Gwadar have been pushed into poverty due to the government’s flawed border trade policies.

According to the statement, “The ongoing closure of the Afghan and Iranian borders has left countless people jobless, forcing them into hunger and despair. Young people, unable to find employment or support their families, are increasingly falling victim to suicide, crime, and social unrest.”

The National Party accused the government of failing to provide alternative employment opportunities and of denying people the right to earn a livelihood through traditional cross-border trade — practices that have existed for generations. “Rather than empowering the people, the government is handing over control of border trade to powerful mafias, while ordinary workers who earned a few thousand rupees daily through honest labor are left with nothing,” the spokesperson said.

The party emphasized that over 90% of Balochistan’s economy relies on trade connected to the Afghanistan and Iran borders. The closure, they argue, is not only unlawful but also inhumane.

The spokesperson demanded an immediate reopening of border trade and urged the government to root out large-scale smuggling networks. “While billions worth of goods are smuggled daily by powerful actors without any restrictions, poor laborers are punished for carrying a few liters of fuel or boxes of biscuits,” the statement added.

The National Party reaffirmed its commitment to standing with the people of Balochistan and resisting what it described as the government’s oppressive and anti-poor policies.

> *”We will continue to be a strong wall against any force that seeks to deprive the people of their right to livelihood,”* the party concluded.

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