Oil traders in Turbat region raise concerns over discriminatory profiling under the guise of issuing trade tokens

Concerns about what they perceive to be discriminatory profiling under the pretense of giving trade tokens have been voiced by oil dealers in the Turbat region of Kech, Balochistan.

According to The Balochistan Post, Deputy Commissioner Ismail Baloch and Additional Deputy Commissioner Tabish are overseeing the profiling procedure, which started three days ago and is being conducted on the Commandant of the Frontier Corps (FC)’s directives.

To acquire trade tokens, traders are required to provide comprehensive personal information, such as identity credentials and a grade-17 officer’s guarantee. The cancellation of trade tokens is said to occur when these standards are not met, further upsetting the lives of local companies who are already having difficulty as a result of recent border restrictions.

Cross-border commerce, especially in oil, is a major source of income for many people in the Makuran area, which includes Turbat. Stricter border restrictions, however, have already put a burden on the local economy and put many merchants in a difficult financial situation.

According to The Balochistan Post, those who have connections to Baloch nationalist groups or organizations are the targets of the profiling procedure, according to its detractors.

Tensions in the area are being exacerbated by allegations of harassment, which allege that members of various groups are being unjustly singled out.

Although officials have not addressed these claims, the situation has alarmed local businesspeople and citizens who worry that this kind of profiling might be a component of a broader attempt to stifle dissent in Balochistan.

As merchants in Turbat continue to confront an uncertain future amid economic hardships and increased scrutiny, the most recent judgment underscores the mounting worries about the effect of government policies on local communities.