Balochistan Residents Launch Long March Over Pak-Iran Border Closure

Balochistan Residents Launch Long March Over Pak-Iran Border Closure

Dil Bar Irshad | May 28, 2024 | 05:24 AM IST | Pakistan News, World | Follow on Google News

Balochistan Residents Launch Long March Over Pak-Iran Border Closure

Balochistan Residents Launch Long March Over Pak-Iran Border Closure

Key Highlights:

1. Locals from Mashkel protest closure of Pak-Iran Maza Sar border crossing.
2. Long march reaches Yakmach, highlighting severe food and economic shortages.
3. Baloch Yakjeheti Committee supports the protest, citing systematic economic suppression.

Locals from Mashkel in the Rakhshan area, near the Pakistan-Iran border, launched a long march towards Quetta, Balochistan, on Saturday in protest against the closure of the Pak-Iran Maza Sar border crossing, which they deem essential for their survival, according to a report by Dawn. The march, which began after a month-long sit-in in Mashkel, has reached Yakmach in the Chagai district, where the protesters were welcomed by locals.

The closure of the Maza Sar border crossing has led to a significant shortage of food and other essential commodities, severely impacting the local economy and livelihoods, particularly for traders who rely on cross-border trade. The march was organized after the Pakistani administration ignored the protesters’ demands during their 30-day sit-in at Mashkel.

Tribal leader Mir Jiand Khan Reki, participating in the march, spoke to journalists by phone, expressing frustration over the government’s inaction despite numerous protests and strikes. Reki emphasized that the protesters plan to hold a sit-in in front of the provincial assembly building upon reaching Quetta to further highlight their demands.

The Baloch Yakjeheti Committee (BYC), a Baloch rights organization, has shown solidarity with the protesters, issuing a statement that condemned the state’s actions against the Baloch nation, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and economic suppression. The BYC stated that the closure of the Maza Sar crossing since the Covid pandemic has resulted in severe shortages and malnutrition in the region.

The protesters are demanding the reopening of the Maza Sar crossing point and the restoration of Maza Sar and Zero Point, which are vital for the local economy. The BYC emphasized that the people of Mashkel are in dire need of assistance and have been protesting against food shortages for a month without any response from government agencies. The long march to Quetta is a desperate effort to demand immediate action from the Balochistan Assembly.

Source: Dawn

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.