In Pakistan, the government in Balochistan province has banned night-time travel across several key national highways amid a worsening law and order situation in the area where multiple terrorist attacks have occurred on vehicles in recent weeks.
The volatile province faced several targeted attacks on vehicles when gunmen stopped the traffic on highways and killed passengers after checking their identities. The ethnic Punjabis have been the target of such attacks.
For about two decades, Balochistan has been in the grip of violence by ethnic Baloch extremists who attack the armed forces dominated by the Punjabis. The rebels allege that the forces were helping the federal government to exploit minerals in the province.
The ban on night travel comes three weeks after the Jaffar Express train was attacked and hijacked by the terrorists of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army.
The volatile province faced several targeted attacks on vehicles when gunmen stopped the traffic on highways and killed passengers after checking their identities. The ethnic Punjabis have been the target of such attacks.
District commissioners of Kachhi, Zhob, Gwadar, Nushki and Musakhail districts issued a notification on Friday to prohibit travel on key national highways from 6 pm to 6 am. The ban covers several highways, including the Quetta-Taftan Road, Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan Road, Sibi Road, Coastal Highway, and Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Road.
For about two decades, Balochistan has been in the grip of violence by ethnic Baloch extremists who attack the armed forces dominated by the Punjabis. The rebels allege that the forces were helping the federal government to exploit minerals in the province, a charge refuted by the authorities.
The ban on night travel comes three weeks after the Jaffar Express train was attacked and hijacked by the terrorists of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army. The hijacking resulted in the killing of 26 hostages, including 18 security personnel.
Terrorists killed five passengers two days ago after they intercepted a Karachi-bound bus in Gwadar’s Kalmat area, forcibly removing the victims before killing them.