A devastating suicide attack on a police checkpost in Pakistan’s Bhakkar district has brought the crucial KP-Punjab highway to a standstill, compounding woes for traders and travelers during Ramadan. The late-evening blast near Dera Darya Khan bridge not only killed security personnel but also prompted a full traffic blockade that lingered into the next day.
Details emerged of the assailant ramming into the Dazil checkpost around 7 PM Tuesday, as seen in chilling CCTV clips. This follows a wave of deadly strikes claiming seven police lives in separate incidents over the past few days. Both Dera Ismail Khan and Bhakkar districts ramped up security, with Punjab Police cordoning off roads and initiating combing operations.
Commuters faced hours-long delays, forced to seek detours at extra cost. The disruption comes hot on the heels of PTI-led protests that had already choked the route, severely impacting goods flow from Punjab markets. Local merchants, speaking to Dawn, lamented the blow to their livelihoods.
Sohail Ahmad Azmi of the traders’ association emphasized the timing’s severity: with Eid approaching, delays in supplies from Lahore and beyond threaten market gluts and revenue dips. ‘Prolonged closures are strangling our economy,’ he stated, urging swift restoration.
Broader data paints a grim picture. KP has witnessed a sharp rise in terror-related deaths, per the Center for Research and Security Studies—from 1,620 last year to over 2,300 this year. As militants target forces amid Ramadan, the cycle of violence risks deepening regional instability, with ripple effects on Pakistan’s internal connectivity and commerce.