Passenger buses in Kech district are only allowed to operate during daytime hours under new directives issued by Deputy Commissioner Basheer Ahmed Barech. The measure comes amid a region-wide mobile internet shutdown.
According to the notification, buses travelling from Karachi to Turbat may depart from Uthal Zero Point only between 4:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. No bus may leave Uthal for Turbat after this time.
Buses from Turbat to Karachi are also restricted to departures between 4:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. For Karachi–Turbat services, a cut-off time of 6:00 p.m. has been set at Talaar Check Post, after which no vehicle may proceed.
For Quetta–Turbat routes, buses are not permitted beyond Hoshab Zero Point after 6:00 p.m., while Quetta–Gwadar services face a 5:00 p.m. cut-off at Hoshab.
Deputy Commissioner Barech warned that strict legal action will be taken against transporters who violate the regulations and instructed all bus operators to ensure compliance.
The new travel restrictions follow a decision by Pakistani authorities to suspend mobile internet services across Balochistan for three weeks, a move they say is aimed at disrupting communications among armed groups behind a recent surge in attacks.
“The service has been suspended because they use it for coordination and sharing information,” said Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the provincial government.
The shutdown has drawn criticism from students, business owners, journalists and human rights organizations. Students in online classes say they have been unable to attend lectures or submit assignments, particularly in rural areas where educational resources are already limited.
Freelancers and entrepreneurs in Quetta, Turbat, Panjgur and Khuzdar say their livelihoods have been brought to a standstill. Media outlets report that the blackout has severely hampered their ability to transmit reports, creating what they describe as an “information vacuum”.
Human rights groups have condemned the shutdown as a violation of civil liberties, warning that it undermines the rights to education, economic activity and access to information.