Transporters in Balochistan have accused the Pakistani security forces of charging hefty bribes and plundering their goods and merchandise from their vehicles en route to Quetta. The Balochistan Goods Truck Owners’ Association said in a media statement that the forces stop vehicles for several hours every day under the pretext of ‘checking’ for smuggling and oil trade, and demand hefty bribes to let them pass. The association condemned this practice and demanded its immediate halt.
The association’s president Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani and other leaders, such as Sohail Khan Kakar, Saifullah Shahwani, Haji Zahir Shah Yousafzai, Haji Rozi Khan Mandokhel, Ahmed Shah Marri, Malik Noor Khan Kurd, Haji Ibrahim Pirkani, and others, issued a joint statement denouncing the alleged theft and extortion.
They said that the transporters and drivers are outraged by the treatment they receive from the administration, especially on the highway that connects Quetta with Mastung, Kadkoocha, and Lakpaas. They warned that if this extortion and bribery does not stop, they will halt the transportation and stage a massive protest. They held the Mastung city administration accountable for this situation.
Meanwhile, in Uthal, the bus owners and drivers are also protesting against the Coast Guards on the highway.
The transporters claimed that they are being extorted for ridiculously high amounts of money, ranging from 300,000 to 1.2 million rupees per vehicle. “This is sheer tyranny”, they said.