Traffic Accidents Outnumber Terrorism Victims in Balochistan: Call for Road Upgrades Grows

Quetta:Balochistan, a province that has been grappling with terrorism for years, has witnessed a troubling rise in traffic accidents, surpassing the casualties from terrorist activities in 2024. While the province faced an increase in terrorism-related incidents in 2023, with a 17% rise in such events, it also witnessed a surge in traffic fatalities on its national highways.

In 2024, 296 people lost their lives due to terrorism in Balochistan, whereas road accidents claimed the lives of 416 individuals. According to Rescue 1122 statistics, 2024 saw a staggering 23,257 accidents on the province’s national highways, resulting in 416 deaths and leaving 31,854 injured.

**High-Risk Areas:**

The most affected areas in Balochistan include towns like *Winder*, *Lasbela*, and *Nassai Qila Sifullah*, where road accidents have become increasingly frequent. The single-lane roads in these areas, such as those on *Tiaru*, *Lasbela*, and *Shinki*, are highly prone to accidents, particularly due to their inability to manage heavy traffic flows.

National Highway N-25, which runs through *Khuzdar*, saw 4,225 accidents with 42 fatalities, while National Highway N-50 had 1,625 accidents, resulting in 43 deaths. On National Highway N-25 in *Mastung*, 1,013 accidents occurred, claiming 25 lives.

**The Need for Two-Lane Roads:**

Local residents have pointed out that many of Balochistan’s highways, especially *N-25* and *N-50*, are single-lane roads not equipped to handle the high volume of traffic. Overtaking on these narrow roads significantly increases the risk of collisions. Particularly, the combination of small and large vehicles traveling at high speeds on single-lane roads exacerbates the danger, affecting traffic flow and increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Saadia Khan (a pseudonym), who experienced a tragic accident five years ago, shared her heart-wrenching story. While traveling from Quetta to Karachi near *Khuzdar*, her vehicle was involved in a horrific crash that resulted in the death of her husband and son. Saadia and her daughter were severely injured. She lamented that the incident “plunged our lives into darkness forever.”

**Government Promises vs Reality:**

Over the years, successive governments have promised to convert the single-lane roads in Balochistan to dual carriageways. However, the grim reality remains that despite the vast size of Balochistan, it still lacks a comprehensive motorway system. The provincial government often holds the federal government responsible for this lack of infrastructure.

Citizens have strongly urged the government to urgently upgrade the single-lane roads to dual carriageways to reduce the rising number of road accidents. In addition, they have called for the creation of dedicated lanes for overtaking on highways to improve traffic flow and enhance safety.

As Balochistan struggles to address both security and infrastructure challenges, citizens are calling for immediate action to prevent further loss of life on its roads.