Pakistani forces have stopped dozens of passenger coaches travelling from Karachi to Makran at Uthal Zero Point, stranding men, women and children bound for Kech and Gwadar districts, local sources said on Tuesday.
According to the sources, the vehicles were halted for allegedly failing to comply with official travel timings. While travel towards Makran has been blocked, vehicles heading towards Quetta are being allowed to proceed.
Passenger said the stoppage of Karachi–Makran coaches highlights a serious disruption to Makran Division’s overland connectivity. They said preventing passengers, including women and children, from continuing their journey merely for “violating official timing” has added to public hardship.
They added that the measure not only affects the local economy and flow of travel but also fuels anxiety and mistrust among passengers.
Public circles have described the decision to block travel to Makran while keeping the route to Quetta open as seemingly discriminatory, raising questions over the administrative policy.
Passengers said thousands of travellers, including elderly people, children, women and the sick, are stranded in extreme heat and should be allowed to proceed to their destinations.
They added that while travellers were previously subjected to long waits at multiple checkpoints under the pretext of security checks, the current travel blockade has worsened the situation, causing further distress.