Dawn Investigations: Crooked path — the Turbat-Buleda road

ON A misty night in February, the headlights of the blue pickup trucks — known as Zambad could be seen laboriously making their way like ants along the dilapidated Turbat-Buleda road in the hilly north of district Kech, Balochistan. They are carrying smuggled oil from Iran to Pakistan.

Despite the passage of almost three decades, the Turbat-Buleda road project remains incomplete. And yet, the same road has been ‘inaugurated’ several times, including by General Qamar Javed Bajwa as army chief.