Balochistan Tightens Transport Security Amid Rising Threats

In light of escalating security challenges in Balochistan's Surab district, local authorities have enforced strict new security protocols for public transportation, which will be in effect from July 21, 2025, as reported by The Balochistan Post. Per an official notification from the Assistant Commissioner of Surab, all buses, vans, and wagons will be subjected to mandatory safety provisions.

These provisions require vehicles to facilitate private security guards, install GPS tracking technologies, emergency alarm systems, and surveillance cameras onboard, as per The Balochistan Post. The concomitant directive stipulates penalties for non-compliance, underscoring the necessity of these measures to safeguard passengers amid burgeoning militant activities in the area.

The stipulations follow a lethal incident near Nimargh, in Kalat district, where a passenger bus traveling from Karachi to Quetta was ambushed earlier this month. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), citing undercover Pakistani security personnel as their targets. The discord between government reports of three deaths and BLA's assertion of 27 casualties highlights the complexities surrounding the attacks.

The BLA's history of targeting military personnel under civilian guise is not unprecedented. A similar attack occurred in April 2025 near Nushki, sparking widespread calls for bolstered transport security. While the authorities emphasize the directive as a precaution, many transport operators worry about its implementation, citing financial and logistical constraints absent of government backing.

The directive has instigated a broader debate concerning the state's accountability in safeguarding security as Balochistan continues to be fraught with escalating unrest and assaults on civilians and military-affiliated figures, according to ANI.

(With inputs from agencies.)