Highway to nowhere: How the BNP-govt standoff is choking Balochistan’s economic lifeline

At a cave-side along the hazardous mountainous region of Chiltan, situated on the outskirts of Quetta near the Lakpass tunnel, dozens of policemen stand guard. A significant trade route, the tunnel connects Afghanistan with Karachi and Pakistan with Iran — but the highway has been blocked for weeks.

A protest organised by former chief minister Akhtar Mengal’s Balochistan National Party (BNP) has brought business and trade to a standstill in the province. The demonstrators are demanding...