Death on the highway

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ data on traffic, an average of 15 people die every day in different road accidents. During the last ten years, the number of people lost their lives in road accidents was much higher than the victims of terrorism. Road accidents in Balochistan have increased to an alarming level. In Kalat, 16 major road accidents in January resulted in the death of 24 people. The N-25 highway – also known as the RCD highway – is the only major road used for transport in this zone. The 813 km long highway passes through Karachi, Bela, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Quetta and Chaman. Accidents mostly take place in the Bela, Khuzdar, Kalat and Mastung districts of Balochistan.

The reason behind this is that the road was built 30 years ago when Balochistan had a low population. The flow of traffic was light and a two-lane road was enough for the vehicles. However, within the last 30 years, there has been a massive increase in the province’s population. Now, the highway is used by hundreds of vehicles on a daily basis. With an increase in traffic, the two-lane carriageway has proven to be detrimental and had taken many innocent lives. Residents want the authorities concerned to widen the important highway – which is also a part of the CPEC project – by adding two more lanes to it so that it could support heavy traffic and avert any untoward incidents.

Maqbool Sasoli

Khuzdar