Balochistan Highways Claim 1,700 Lives in Six Years

Balochistan Highways Claim 1,700 Lives in Six Years

Balochistan’s highways have become tragic symbols of daily loss of life. According to a report by the Medical Emergency Response Center (MER-C) 1122, between October 2019 and September 2025, as many as 77,826 traffic accidents were reported across the province, resulting in 1,743 deaths and 103,902 injuries. The report highlights that Balochistan has the highest accident rate in the country, and the situation continues to worsen each year. The most accidents occurred on National Highway N-25 (Karachi to Chaman) — Balochistan’s main trade artery — where 35,113 accidents claimed 900 lives. Poor road conditions, single-lane stretches, overspeeding, and heavy traffic have turned it into a “deadly highway.” Similarly, N-50 (Quetta to Dera Ismail Khan) recorded 24,694 accidents with 421 fatalities. The report describes this route as narrow, winding, and poorly lit, making night driving particularly dangerous. Accidents are also frequent on N-85 (Surab to Panjgur) and N-70 (Loralai to D.G. Khan). Experts attribute these tragedies to speeding, reckless overtaking, deteriorated roads, untrained or unlicensed drivers, poorly maintained vehicles, and lack of road safety enforcement. A survivor, Agha Ibrahim, shared his ordeal: “In 2017, I was in an accident near Wadh on the Quetta-Karachi Highway. My leg bone fractured, and my face was injured. I still walk with a limp, but I thank God I survived. I can never forget that scene.”