On Wednesday, transporters in Balochistan established a protest camp in Uthal to voice their grievances against the alleged extortion and misconduct by the Pakistani Coast Guard.
According to reports, Haji Dad Muhammad Achakzai, owner of Al Mahmood Transport, set up the protest camp near the Coast Guard’s Uthal checkpoint. The demonstration saw hundreds of vehicles from Al Mahmood Transport parked alongside the highway, with black flags hoisted on them to signify opposition to the Coast Guard’s alleged abuses. The camp has since attracted various visitors, showcasing widespread support for the transporters’ cause.
In a statement to the media, Haji Dad Muhammad Achakzai and Mullah Behram Khan said that the Pakistan Coast Guards have set up a checkpoint in Uthal, Lasbela, and are separately inspecting passenger vehicles in the Hub district.
They accused Coast Guard personnel and officers of demanding bribes under the pretext of vehicle inspections, resulting in prolonged stops, searches, and considerable inconvenience for both transport operators and passengers.
They criticized the injustice towards Balochistan’s transporters, pointing out that while a Coast Guard checkpoint is in Uthal, passenger coaches are stopped and searched sixty kilometers away at Naka Karhi Check, which represents a grave injustice.
Achakzai and Khan issued a warning that should their demands remain unaddressed within three days, they will escalate their protest. This would involve blocking the Quetta-Karachi highway on the fourth day and staging a sit-in at the Coast Guard checkpoint gate in Uthal. They said that the Coast Guards would be held accountable for any ensuing disruptions.