Balochistan: Pakistan army closes GoldSmid Line

QUETTA: On Friday 24 July 2020 the Pakistani army completely closed the border between Eastern part and Western part of Balochistan – Pakistani Occupied Balochistan (POB) and Iranian Occupied Balochistan (IOB).

Pakistani military officials said in a statement that they would not allow any vehicle carrying fuel to cross the artificial border (GoldSmid Line) that divides Balochistan into two parts.

Sources reported that more than a hundred vehicles carrying fuel have been seen moving at the border and some of the vehicles have been seized by the Pakistani army.

The Pakistan army’s action has caused great concern among the Baloch fuel traders in the Pogunzaan area near the border who have not been allowed to enter the Eastern part of Balochistan.

It has also been reported that the Pakistan army has permitted ‘shot at sight’ to its border forces. They can now fire directly at any oncoming vehicle regards of the vehicle carrying fuel or not.

In recent months, and especially in 2020, the two governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have cooperated extensively against the Baloch people in the name of stopping fuel trade.

However, the residents have told BalochWarna News that Pakistani and Iranian forces target their political opponents and the general Baloch population under different pretexts.