Sardar Muhammad Khondai:
CHAMAN: Transporters blocked the main Quetta-Chaman highway against extortion and robberies on Wednesday. The angry transporters created blocked the main highway at Khojak top to mount pressure on the government to take action against the elements involved in robberies and extortion.
“We are fed up with highway extortion”, Haji Abdul Ali, the central leader of the transporters association lamented. He said armed accused were taking extortion from the transported at gunpoint and the drivers and transporters were powerless.
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Passengers suffered for hours because of the blockade of the highway linking Pakistan with neighboring Afghanistan. “Enough is enough, now will not sit silent”, Haji Abdul Ali said. He criticized the Chaman and Killa Abdullah administrations for their failure to protect the lives and properties of the transporters.
Senior officials of the district administration reached the spot of the protest and held negotiations with protesters. Finally, the angry transporters agreed to open the road for traffic after assurance from the administration.
Daily hundreds of heavy trucks travel through the highway to supply goods to neighboring Afghanistan. Taking action against the extortion mafia has been one of the long-standing demands of the transporters.
