As hostilities between Iran and Israel intensify, their ripple effects are increasingly evident in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where a growing fuel shortage is disrupting daily life on a large scale.
According to the reports, from Quetta to remote districts like Turbat, Gwadar, Panjgur, and Chagai, fuel pumps are closing down, transport is being halted, and panic is rising due to the collapsing supply chain.
In Quetta alone, more than 70% of filling stations have shut, while the few still operational are overwhelmed with long lines of desperate customers. Officials fear a complete halt of petrol sales in the provincial capital within a day if the situation persists.
The crisis, however, is not limited to Quetta. Fuel shortages are worsening across Makran and Chagai divisions as well. The provincial administration has indefinitely sealed all border crossings with Iran — the primary source of Balochistan’s fuel — citing increased security threats in the region.
The shutdown includes key points in Mashkel, Turbat, and Gwadar, where trade routes and fuel pipelines from Iran once sustained local demand. In Chagai, the closure of the Mashkel border — a major hub for fuel trade — has halted supply and impacted nearby towns and rural areas.
In Gwadar, local authorities confirmed the suspension of both fuel transport and civilian movement at the Gabad-Kalatuk corridor. Panjgur officials similarly enforced a full stop on foot traffic and petroleum imports from across the border.
“These steps are essential for maintaining regional stability in view of current global tensions,” the Panjgur administration said in a public statement.
The crisis had already been escalating prior to the border closure. In Quetta, mini-fuel stations selling Iranian petrol had been shut for two weeks following an intensified crackdown by authorities. In Chagai’s border belt, residents report being stranded as trade and transport systems collapse.
Despite visible signs of crisis, the Balochistan government downplayed the situation. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind dismissed reports of a widespread emergency, blaming “fuel smugglers” for spreading misinformation.
“These shortages are artificially created to pressure the government into lifting the ban on illicit Iranian fuel,” he said. He also linked the smuggled fuel trade to multiple fire incidents across Quetta in recent weeks.
Rind warned of legal action against any station hoarding fuel or refusing customers, insisting that only registered pumps supplying legal fuel would be allowed to operate.
However, the on-ground reality presents a stark contrast. Residents in Quetta, Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, and Chagai report widespread closures, dried-up pumps, and fears of economic paralysis if fuel supplies aren’t restored soon.
What once seemed a distant geopolitical crisis is now manifesting on Balochistan’s roads, in its markets, and at its borders. District administrations have urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel and fully cooperate with officials as they navigate this volatile situation.
Meanwhile, Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has denied that there is any nationwide fuel shortage. He clarified that the country has sufficient reserves and dismissed circulating rumours as baseless.
