Pakistan News
Night travel banned on key highways in Balochistan
The Balochistan government has banned night-time travel — mostly for public transport — on major highways in several districts amid a deteriorating security situation, it emerged on Sunday.
The move comes amid a rise in terrorist attacks across Balochistan, including multiple incidents this year where passengers were targeted and gunned down.
The deputy commissioners of Gwadar, Kachhi, Zhob, Noshki and Musakhel districts issued notifications banning travel at night time. The Quetta administration also ordered that public transport departing from the city be barred from plying the roads at night.
Quetta Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat told Dawn.com that he chaired a meeting, where “it was decided that public transport would be prohibited from travelling on the Karachi-Quetta highway (N-25), also known as the RCD Highway, at night, disconnecting Balochistan from Sindh.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1895508
It was also stressed to ensure that buses and coaches depart in a timely manner to avoid delays in the journey.
“Trackers and CCTV cameras in all buses and coaches would be kept functional, while transporters have been told to cooperate with the government directives,” Shafqaat said.
In a notification issued on March 28, Gwadar DC Hamoodur Rehman said all public transport on the Makran Coastal Highway (N-10) would be banned at night till further orders.
It further said that keeping the “passengers’ security” in mind, the administration and the private transport association had decided to also restrict the departure timings from Karachi, Gwadar and Quetta to ensure that they arrive at their destination before night falls.
All transport heading from Karachi or Quetta to Gwadar would depart between 5am and 10am, while those setting from the port city to the two cities would do so between 6am and 1pm.
In a similar notification by Kachhi DC Jahanzaib Langove, all public and private transport was directed not to travel on the Quetta-Sukkur highway (N-65) between 5pm and 5am from March 28 till further orders, disconnecting the province from Sindh at night.
Vehicles heading from Sibi to Quetta during the proscribed timings would be halted at the Nari River bank in Sibi, while those coming from the provincial capital would be stopped at Kolpur, the notification added.
A separate order by Zhob DC Mehboob Ahmad barred public buses and coaches from travelling through Zhob on the N-50 National Highway — linking Quetta to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan — at night.
The transporters were told not to travel between 6pm and 6am from March 27 till further orders are issued.
Noshki DC Amjad Soomro and Musakhel DC Juma Dad Mandokhail also issued similar notifications, banning public transport from plying the Quetta-Taftan (N-40) and Multan-Loralai (N-70) highways between 6pm and 6am.
Attacks on highways
According to Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind, national highways have been closed 76 times for various reasons since January 1.
https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1900559
Militants in Balochistan have recently intensified their attacks, with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) emerging as a key perpetrator of terrorist violence in Pakistan in 2024.
Most recently, armed men blocked the Coastal Highway in Gwadar and killed six people — all hailing from Punjab — after disembarking them from a Karachi-bound bus.
A Jaffar Express train was hijacked earlier this month, in which 26 hostages, including 18 security personnel, lost their lives. Five more security personnel were martyred during the operation.
Last month, militants blocked various points on the Quetta-Sukkur N-65 highway in Bolan and seized weapons from the security team of Balochistan Parliamentary Secretary Mir Liaquat Ali Lehri.
https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1893896
The previous month, seven Punjab-bound passengers were offloaded from a bus and shot dead in Balochistan’s Barkhan district.
In August last year, when BLA launched numerous attacks across the province, 23 travellers were offloaded from trucks and buses and shot in the Musakhail district.
In April 2024, nine people were forced off a bus and shot dead after gunmen blockaded the Quetta-Taftan Highway N-40 near Noshki.
Taken From Dawn News
https://www.dawn.com/news/1901307/night-travel-banned-on-key-highways-in-balochistan
Paris ( Imran Y. CHOUDHRY):- A ‘Pakistan-France Trade and Investment Forum’ was held in Paris today, bringing together government officials, business leaders, industry experts and representatives of trade bodies of both countries.
The Forum was held in implementation of an understanding reached between President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2024, to build strong economic partnership between Pakistan and France. The objective of the Forum was to connect businesses, exchange ideas, explore new avenues of bilateral cooperation and showcase Pakistan’s trade and investment potential. It witnessed participation of over seventy French and Pakistani companies from diverse sectors including agriculture, information technology, textiles, energy and tourism.
Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch opened the Business Forum and highlighted Pakistan’s economic growth and potential as an attractive trade partner for France. She outlined investor-focused initiatives and institutional facilitation mechanisms in Pakistan to promote trade and investment. She encouraged Pakistani and French businesses to explore collaborative opportunities, and develop joint ventures and win-win partnerships.
Speakers from the French side included Thierry Pflimlin, Chairman of the France-Pakistan Business Council at MEDEF International, Patricia Glasel, Vice President of the Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CCEF) and Ardavan Amir-Aslani. They highlighted the growing momentum in France-Pakistan economic relations; identified the opportunities for trade and investment with Pakistan; and underscored the importance of strengthening private sector linkages to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment.
The plenary session was followed by ‘Breakout and Business-to-Business (B2B)’ sessions to discuss and identify tangible avenues for collaboration in textiles, agriculture and dairy, and Information Technology.
Pakistan News
Dr. Mohammad Faisal Joins Distinguished Quetta Association Event in London Gathering Reinforces Shared Military Heritage of Pakistan and Britain
High Commissioner @DrMFaisal and his spouse @drsarahnaeem2 attended, as guests of honor, a distinguished gathering of the Quetta Association at the Army & Navy Club, London.
Military Officers from the Defence Wing of Pakistan High Commission, London, with their families also attended.
Quetta Association brings together British officers who graduated from the prestigious Command & Staff College, Quetta, Pakistan. The institution has produced outstanding military leaders, including British Field Marshals Sir Claude Auchinleck and Sir William Slim, whose leadership during the Second World War remains widely respected. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is also graduate of this prestigious institution.
The High Commissioner appreciated the annual gathering that underscored the Association’s enduring role as a vital bridge linking the British Army and Pakistan Army through shared professional heritage and camaraderie.
Decorated British military officers and their families paid glowing tributes while referring to the hospitality accorded by Pakistan during their stay in Quetta.
Graduate senior British Officers present at the gathering included Lt. Gen. Sir Alistair Irwin KCB CBE (1980) and Maj. Gen. Seumus Kerr CBE (1985).
Mementos were exchanged between the British officers and officers of @PakistaninUK.
In a simple and dignified ceremony held at Pakistan House, London, the High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK Dr. Mohammad Faisal raised the Pakistan Flag on the occasion of Pakistan Day.
The ceremony was attended by Officials of the High Commission, British – Pakistanis and Media representatives.
Messages of the President, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister were read out.
In his keynote address, the High Commissioner said that Pakistan Day was a tribute to our founding fathers who united the Muslims of Indian sub-continent where they could live independently as a Nation and live according to their customs & traditions.
Dr. Faisal stated that Pakistan had always professed peace and stability in the region. However, Pakistan will not tolerate any aggression from neighbouring countries.
The High Commissioner said that Pakistani nation, despite the difficulties, remains resilient and demonstrates courage & perseverance.
Dr. Mohammad Faisal stated that, in line with the instructions of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister and the Federal Cabinet, Pakistan High Commission London is implementing strict austerity measures. However, these measures will not affect the performance & working of the High Commission.
He acknowledged the remarkable contributions of Pakistani diaspora in UK and their extraordinary performance in various fields. He said that their achievements are a source of immense pride for Pakistan.
The High Commissioner expressed solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and committed to continue diplomatic, moral and political support for their right to self determination under UN Resolutions.
London
23rd March, 2026
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