Restrictions Imposed on Public Transport Between Punjab and Balochistan

Following recent militant incidents, authorities in Dera Ghazi Khan have announced limitations on public transportation operating between Punjab and Balochistan during evening hours, according to the deputy commissioner.

A notification stated that these standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being issued for immediate and strict adherence by all transport services operating between Punjab and Balochistan to guarantee the protection and safety of passengers and vehicles, in view of the recent terrorist acts on National Highway N-70.

Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid stated that after 5 p.m., all public transportation vehicles will be stopped at the Bawata border region. He stated that the choice was made in response to a recent horrific event in Balochistan in which passengers were murdered.

The deputy commissioner advised transporters to avoid traveling in the evening and clarified that travel towards Balochistan may continue after 5 a.m. the following morning.

According to the notification, all forms of transportation services, both public and private, must cease operations at Sakhi Sarwar and Bawata by 5:00 p.m. daily. It said that travel is absolutely prohibited at night and is limited to daylight hours.

The notification mandated that every public transportation vehicle create a video of all passengers at the DG Khan bus stations before departure.

It stated that before departing from DG Khan, each public transport bus must have two armed private security guards on board, and that all buses must have functioning CCTV cameras that cover both the inside and outside of the vehicle to monitor boarding, disembarkation, and in-transit activities.

Every public transport vehicle needs to have a GPS tracking system and an emergency panic button installed. The notification also cautioned that anyone found in violation would be subject to immediate action in accordance with the law.

The action was taken in the wake of escalating attacks on buses traveling from Punjab to Balochistan, the most recent of which took place in the Sur-Dakai region, where unidentified armed men kidnapped and murdered nine passengers traveling on two coaches headed for Punjab.

The government had previously stated that Fitna-Al-Hindustan was responsible for the attacks in Kakat, Mastung, and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned organization, later claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack is consistent with the rising trend of cross-border terrorism in Balochistan, particularly in the wake of Pakistan’s recent military triumph over India. This year, in the month of May, the government designated every terrorist group operating in Balochistan as Fitna-Al-Hindustan.

Similarly, armed men blocked the highway in the Kalmat area of Gwadar district in March of this year, killing five people. Seven Punjab-bound passengers were taken off a bus and shot to death in the Barkhan region in February.