Unjustified Hourly Delays of Heavy Transport in the Name of Security Unbearable: Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association
QUETTA: Spokesperson for the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, Haji Rozi Khan Mandokhail, has strongly protested against the alleged prolonged and unnecessary detention of heavy transport vehicles by traffic police at Jabal-e-Noor, Airport Road and Western Bypass in Quetta.
In a statement, Mandokhail said Balochistan was already facing severe economic difficulties, law and order challenges and a prolonged business slowdown, with commercial activity reduced to a minimum. Despite these circumstances, he said, heavy vehicles were being stopped for hours every day allegedly on the pretext of “Begar” and security concerns.
He said trucks had been repeatedly stopped in the name of Muharram, then Chehlum, and now security threats. While acknowledging the importance of security requirements and public safety, he said it was unacceptable to subject legally operating heavy transport vehicles to prolonged delays in the name of security.
The spokesperson said truck owners were already facing serious financial difficulties due to inflation, taxes, rising diesel costs, vehicle maintenance expenses and declining business activity. Daily and unnecessary stoppages were causing substantial financial losses to transporters and negatively affecting the livelihoods of drivers and workers.
He said transporters felt they were being deliberately discouraged from continuing their businesses and strongly condemned what he described as an unjustified practice.
Mandokhail called on the Inspector General of Police Balochistan, SSP Traffic Quetta and other relevant authorities to immediately issue written directives to traffic police prohibiting the unnecessary detention of heavy transport vehicles. He urged authorities to adopt effective security measures without disrupting legitimate commercial and freight operations.
He warned that the issue had been continuing since Muharram and that the patience of transporters had now run out. He urged authorities to immediately stop the practice, warning that otherwise the association would exercise its constitutional and legal right to protest.
He said that if the matter was not resolved promptly, the association would be forced to stage a sit-in and protest on the Western Bypass, along with other peaceful and lawful measures, holding the relevant authorities responsible for the consequences.
The Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association demanded protection for heavy transport, removal of unnecessary obstacles to business activities and an immediate end to the daily stoppage of freight vehicles by traffic police.
