Protesters clash with authorities in Quetta after local officials cleared the Quetta-Chaman Highway early Wednesday. Authorities dismantled the camps and reopened the highway, but protesters retaliated by ransacking the deputy commissioner’s office, leading to seven arrests.
The highway, once reopened, was blocked again shortly after, halting all trade and traffic between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Local officials, including the Frontier Corps and Levies, conducted an operation to remove barriers. Reports suggest the protesters’ camps were set ablaze.
As the road reopened, hundreds of trucks carrying Afghan transit and trade goods crossed. However, protesters blocked the highway again, throwing stones at trucks and Levies officials in the Garang area. Police and Levies used tear gas to disperse the crowd, but tensions continued to rise. A large number of people then gathered in front of the DC office in Chaman to protest the earlier operation in Garang.
During the protest, a group of demonstrators entered the DC office, damaging furniture, computers, and other equipment. The Levies force dispersed the crowd and arrested seven protesters. Local journalists reported that some protesters also targeted the Chaman Press Club, smashing its windows.
Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja stated that protesters remained outside his office into the evening, where negotiations were ongoing. He confirmed the arrests related to the office attack. Protesters claimed that sit-in committee spokesmen Sadiq Achakzai and Ghousullah were also detained.
A district administration statement noted that during an anti-polio campaign, some miscreants attacked a polio team, injuring Levies personnel and female workers. The deputy commissioner attempted negotiations with the sit-in committee leader to maintain order in Chaman. However, during these talks, some protesters attacked the DC and ransacked his office. The administration stated that the protesters crossed a red line, and FIRs would be filed on terror charges.
Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said the protesters had repeatedly challenged the state’s authority. He warned against inciting rebellion under the guise of a sit-in. Home Minister Mir Zia Ullah Langove vowed to restore peace by taking action against troublemakers and mentioned compensation for those affected by the border trade. He also emphasized the “one document regime” as a constitutional requirement.
The Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party condemned the crackdown and the arrests, demanding the release of the detained protesters in a statement issued on Wednesday.
