Turbat | Pakistan

The bus lurched to a halt on the long, dry highway that takes you from Gwadar to Turbat. A clutch of men jumped out and sprinted towards the makeshift bathroom by the road. Some of them scattered into the bushes. Back in the bus, anchored to their seats, women stared out of the windows stiffly. They must have done the math before boarding: drink enough water to bear the heat, but not so much that you need to empty your bladder. Gwadar to Turbat is a short two hours. But it is eight long ones if you are heading to Karachi. A washroom on the Makran Coastal Highway between Turbat and Gwadar Balochistan’s new and smooth highways are praised as corridors of connectivity and trade and promise progress for a place that has long been politically and geographically distant from the rest of Pakistan. Motorway 8 goes from Ratodero to Gwadar, the N-10 runs along the Makran coast, the N-25 RCD Highway connects Quetta to Karachi and the N-40 that meanders towards the Iran border from Quetta to Taftan. But the praise for th...

The government of Balochistan has launched the Green Peoples Bus Service in Turbat to provide residents with safe, comfortable and efficient travel facilities while improving urban mobility in the region.

Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry held a special interactive session with faculty members and students of the University of Turbat.

Police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday foiled a migrant smuggling attempt in Balochistan’s Turbat district in a joint operation, while detaining 29 foreign nationals for attempting to cross the border illegally, officials said. Migrant smuggling, which has grown more frequent and dangerous in Pakistan in the last few years, assists a person to enter or stay in a country without having the legal permission to do so. The trend impacts both the country’s reputation and the lives of those caught in it. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kech Captain Zohaib Mohsin told Dawn that the operation was carried out in the outskirts of Turbat, where a Land Cruiser was intercepted with dozens of people on board. “The arrested persons include 12 men, 13 children and 4 women,” the SSP said. “Two drivers have also been arrested who were allegedly involved in taking these people to Iran through illegal routes.” SSP Mohsin said initial investigations have revealed that the Afghan nationals were planning ...

Eight people, including seven Levies Force personnel, were injured in a bomb blast targeting the convoy of Kech Deputy Commissioner (DC) Major (retd) Bashir Barech in Balochistan’s Turbat on Monday, according to police. Kech Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Captain (retd) Zohaib Mohsin told Dawn.com that a remote-controlled bomb was used in the attack that took place at Press Club road. “The bomb, which was planted in a motorcycle, was triggered using a remote control when the DC’s convoy was passing by the area,” he said, adding that five Levies personnel and a passerby were injured in the incident. He later told Dawn.com that the number of the injured had increased to eight, including seven Levies personnel. The Kech DC remained safe as he was in a bulletproof vehicle, he added. He was travelling from his home to office and his car was only partially damaged in the incident, the SSP said. “The blast was so intense that four of the vehicles parked nearby and closely located buildings were also damaged,”...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Turbat and reaffirmed the military’s unwavering support for initiatives aimed at improving Balochistan’s socio-economic conditions, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. The government has repeatedly voiced its commitment to the development of Balochistan — a province with severe infrastructure deficits, recurring protests and a bleak law and order situation. In June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed it one of the top priorities. Field Marshal Munir interacted with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and representatives of the Turbat civil administration during his visit, according to a press release from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). “The visit aimed to review the prevailing security situation, assess development initiatives, and reinforce coordination between military and civil institutions for the stability and prosperity of Balochistan,” the statement read. During his interaction with the Turbat administration’s represent...

In a landmark move to modernize urban mobility, the Balochistan government has unveiled the launching of 21 cutting-edge buses under its ambitious Green and Pink Bus Project, aimed at elevating public transport standards in Quetta and Turbat.

Turbat and nearby regions in Balochistan experienced an earthquake on Thursday, causing brief panic among residents.

Security forces killed two armed assailants on Friday night in an encounter after they tried to attack a Frontier Corps (FC) check post in Balochistan’s Turbat city of Kech district, according to the police. Faced with increasing attacks by militants, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, security forces have also intensified counterterrorism operations. According to a police statement, Kech SSP Zohaib Mohsin said, “Unidentified armed men tried to attack an FC check post last night, but the forces killed the two armed men in retaliation. “While chasing the two armed men, they were surrounded and killed in Sangani Sar and their bodies were later handed over to the administration. However, the identities of the slain men have not been ascertained yet,” the statement quoted him as having said. In another incident in Nasirabad, 40 kilometres from Turbat, women and children were injured when a grenade was thrown at a house. According to police office Zahoor Ahmed, unidentified motorcyclists threw a gre...

Three terrorists were killed after security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the general area of Turbat town in Balochistan’s Kech district, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the forces conducted an IBO, effectively engaging with the terrorists’ location. The statement said that “after an intense exchange of fire, three terrorists were successfully neutralised”. It said that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists who were involved in multiple activities against the law enforcement agencies and the innocent civilians in the area. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to neutralise any other terrorists present in the area,” ISPR said, adding that the forces remain determined “to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan”. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, afte...