Scores of protestors took to the roads in Turbat, Kech, against the closure of the Pak-Iranian border (also known as the Goldsmith line.) The protestors also blocked the key Gwadar-Karachi highway in protest, forcing hundreds of vehicles to line up on the roads.
According to the details, individuals from several trade associations and the general public are protesting for the second day straight in Turbat against the closure of the Pak-Iranian border. The protestors argue that they are on the roads against the closure of the Iranian border and the “aggressive” behaviour of the Pakistani forces with the local oil traders. They demand that the border must be reopened so that they can continue their business uninterrupted.
The protestors said that the government is justifying the closure of the Pak-Iranian border as a security measure. They said that the Pakistani security forces mistreat the general public living near the border. Furthermore, the Baloch communities living in the areas near the border have relatives living on the Iranian side, and they constantly travel back and forth. The border closure is estranging these communities from their kinsmen.
Deputy Commissioner Kech Hussain Jan visited the protestors to negotiate with them. He assured them that he will convey their message to the relevant authorities after which the protest was ended and the highway was unblocked.
The closure of the Pak-Iranian border has created major problems for the people of eastern Balochistan and Makran who heavily rely on the oil trade and transport for their bread and butter. A separate protest was also held in Gwadar in front of the offices of the Pakistani Coast Guards in this regard.
Baloch Yakjehti Committee, a social group campaigning for various social reforms, also expressed solidarity with the protestors. In a recent media statement, the group said that the oil trade occurring via the Iranian border feeds thousands of families throughout Balochistan. And if the border is closed, these families will be left in starvation.
They said that the majority of the people in Balochistan live well below the poverty line. Disappointed by the non-responsive government, the youth have taken it to themselves to search for employment so that they can provide for their families. The lack of employment coupled with the closure of the border will only add to the woes of the public, they said.
The Committee further said that the oil traders are harassed on an almost daily basis while travelling back and forth through the border. The traders are targeted on both sides of the border – only a few weeks ago several Baloch traders were shot dead by the Iranian forces in a massive firefight.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee appealed to the government to promptly reopen the border so that the Baloch traders can continue their trade and feed their families. And if the border is reopened, and the behaviour of the borders forces is not checked, then the Baloch Yakjehti Committee will have the right to organize peaceful protests throughout Balochistan, they concluded.