Opposition protests border trade closure

QUETTA:

Proceedings of the Balochistan Assembly on Friday were disrupted after opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in protest against the government's policies on cross-border trade and resistance to revenue record reforms.

Opposition members, including Khair Jan Baloch, Shahida Rauf, Rahmat Baloch, and Zabid Reki, accused the provincial government of neglecting its responsibilities by failing to provide alternative employment opportunities while border routes with Afghanistan and Iran remain closed. They said the prolonged restrictions had deprived more than two million people of their livelihoods.

Earlier, JUI-F's Shahida Rauf tabled a resolution calling for the digitalisation of revenue records to ensure transparency and accountability. However, when Speaker Captain (retd) Khaliq Achakzai put the resolution to vote, it was rejected by the majority, sparking loud protests from the opposition benches. Lawmakers alleged that the government was protecting corrupt officials by blocking digitisation efforts.

The debate escalated when opposition leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman criticised the provincial administration for failing to ease economic hardship, noting that Punjab had announced free electricity for its citizens while Balochistan's people were being deprived of basic income sources due to border closures.

As tensions mounted, opposition legislators walked out of the house, leaving the proceedings in disarray. Political observers say the episode reflects growing frustration in the province over economic disparities, governance lapses, and a lack of transparency in state institutions.