Balochistan: Protests Over Border Closure and Fuel Tanker Plan
DOZZAAP (ZAHEDAN): On Saturday, July 26 2025, dozens of Baloch citizens staged a powerful protest in Zahedan, the capital of Iranian occupied Balochistan, voicing their outrage over the closure of the Rutak border crossing and the implementation of the Governor’s controversial fuel tanker plan.
The protest took place in front of the Governor’s Office, where demonstrators chanted slogans and read out a list of demands. They directly challenged the governor’s decision to shut down the Rutak crossing, a vital lifeline for more than 30,000 residents, many of whom depend on border trade for their basic needs and livelihoods.
Demonstrators also read a formal statement addressed to the governor, stating: “Mr. Governor, with what logic did you order the closure of the Rutak border crossing, leaving more than 30,000 people longing for access to basic necessities? What factories or private companies have you established to replace the blessed Razzaq Plan?”
Critics of the fuel tanker plan argue it benefits a small elite while devastating local employment opportunities. Protesters accused the governor of implementing the policy without public consultation, shutting down critical sources of income for ordinary Baloch citizens.
They also raised concerns about attempts to alter the Razzaq Plan, a livelihood scheme that has long supported residents in border areas. “Have you built any factories or provided alternative jobs?” they questioned. “Or is this just another step toward marginalising the local population?”
Protesters demanded an immediate reopening of the Rutak border, the removal of restrictions on essential goods, and a reassessment of the tanker plan, which they described as a “cursed project designed only to serve the privileged few.”
The protesting residents were seen holding placards and chanting in front of the Governor’s Office.
The Rutak border crossing has been closed for nearly three months, under orders from the governor and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The closure has severely disrupted daily life for Baloch citizens on both sides of the border, cutting off vital access to goods, fuel, and economic activity.
On Thursday, July 25, 2025, just two days before the Zahedan protest, hundreds of Baloch citizens in the Nokandi region of Pakistan Occupied Balochistan staged another protest against the ongoing border shutdowns.
Demonstrators warned that if the Rutak border is not reopened, they will block imports and exports through the Mirjaveh border crossing, halting trade between Iran and Pakistan.
According to local sources, the IRGC is orchestrating the border closures and tanker regulation policies behind the scenes. In what some activists claim is a political manoeuvre, the IRGC is pushing Governor Mansour Bijar—a native Baloch official—to the forefront of these unpopular measures in an effort to damage his reputation among the Baloch population and deflect accountability from the military apparatus enforcing the new policies.
