Shyam Bihari Lal, the revered MLA from Faridpur in Bareilly, tragically passed away on Friday following a sudden cardiac arrest during a meeting focused on development initiatives. Despite swift action and transport to a nearby private hospital, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful
Around 40 people have died and 115 people are injured as a result of a fire in a bar in a ski resort in south-west Switzerland, police say. A teenage golfer from Italy is the first victim to be named by media, though not officially. It is likely the bar
Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of action after sustaining a rib fracture during the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan has been ruled out of action after sustaining a rib fracture during the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy
Canada is expected to see a sharp rise in undocumented immigrants, with nearly half coming from India, as millions of work permits expire. Data obtained by immigration consultant Kanwar Seirah from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that around 1,053
![New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Sub-Committee on GRAP has decided to revoke all actions as envisaged under](http://newsorbit360.com/files/news/en/imgs/caqm-revokes-grap-iii-in-delhi-ncr-as-air-quality-improves.webp?height=154)
New Delhi [India], January 2 (ANI): The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Sub-Committee on GRAP has decided to revoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-III of the extant GRAP, with immediate effect, in the entire National Capital Region
Pakistan's Dualised Coastal Highway: Strategic Tarmac For Foreign Cargo
Pakistan's Dualised Coastal Highway: Strategic Tarmac For Foreign Cargo
As Pakistan dualizes the Makran Coastal Highway for CPEC cargo, local communities in Balochistan remain cut off from basic services. Is this progress or control?
The coastal road linking Karachi and Gwadar, known as the Makran Coastal Highway (N-10), was completed in 2004. It was originally built to connect scattered coastal towns, reduce travel time, and support local movement and fishing communities along Balochistan's coast.
The character of the road changed after Gwadar Port became operational and CPEC was launched in 2015. Parts of the highway began to be widened and dualised to handle heavy cargo traffic linked to the port and long-distance transit. At the same time, new port-focused infrastructure, including a direct expressway out of Gwadar, was added to move containers quickly without passing through local areas.
What was once a regional road gradually became a cargo corridor, with speed and security taking priority over local access and daily use.
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
The government calls the dualised coastal highway a development success. It is described as a key trade route that will improve connectivity and help the economy. The wider road and faster traffic are held up as proof that investment is finally reaching Balochistan's coast.
For people who live along the highway, it does not feel that way.
Most of the traffic on the road is heavy cargo. Container trucks, fuel tankers, and long convoys move between ports and inland routes. The road is built for them. Speed and security matter more than local access. For ordinary residents, the highway is not something that makes daily life easier.
Many villages sit right next to the road, yet remain cut off. There are few safe crossings. Service roads are limited. Public transport is poor. People often have to wait long stretches to cross safely. For them, the highway is something to work around, not something that helps them move.
The size of the investment makes this harder to accept. Large sums have been spent to move trucks faster. At the same time, nearby communities still struggle with basic needs. Clean drinking water is not guaranteed. Health centres are far away or understaffed. Schools lack teachers and proper buildings.
The road passes through these areas, but it does not fix any of this.
Local residents watch cargo move past their homes every day. They do not see new markets opening for fishermen or small traders. The trucks do not stop. The money does not stay. The economic activity belongs to places elsewhere.
Security along the highway is heavy. Checkpoints, patrols, and escorted convoys are common. Officials say this is needed to protect an important route. Locals often feel the protection is not for them. It is for what is moving through their land.
Armed vehicles are everywhere. Basic services are not.
Over time, this creates a sense of being watched rather than supported. The highway starts to feel less like development and more like control. That feeling matters, especially in a region where trust in the state is already weak.
Jobs were another promise. During construction, some work was available, but most of it was temporary. Skilled workers were often brought in from outside. Once construction ended, the jobs disappeared. There was little left for local youth.
Highways do not create many long-term jobs. They move goods, not people into work. Without training programmes or support for local industries like fishing and farming, the road changes very little on the ground.
There is also the question of money. Tolls and transit fees bring in revenue. But this income usually goes to federal authorities or national agencies. Local governments rarely see a direct share. Districts host the road, deal with the disruption, and manage the security pressures, but the financial return goes elsewhere.
This is not new for Balochistan. Big projects arrive. Promises are made. Benefits are delayed or redirected. People are told to wait. Over time, patience runs out.
Supporters of the highway argue that national trade will eventually help everyone. They speak of long-term benefits. For families still struggling for water, healthcare, and schooling, these arguments feel distant. Development that always comes later does not feel real.
Roads are not neutral. They show what matters. A highway built mainly for foreign-linked cargo sends a clear signal. When local roads, hospitals, and schools do not receive the same attention, people notice.
This is not about opposing roads or trade. Connectivity is important. But development should not only be about moving goods quickly. It should improve daily life for the people who live along the route.
That would mean proper access roads, safe crossings, local hiring, and a share of revenue for local services. It would mean security that protects people, not just cargo.
Without these changes, the coastal highway will remain what many locals already believe it to be--a smooth road built for others, cutting through communities that are still waiting for the basics.
If progress continues to arrive only as passing trucks and armed convoys, the gap between official claims and lived reality will keep growing. And a road meant to connect the country may end up deepening the feeling of exclusion along its edges.
ALSO READ | Pakistan's 'Fake' Amritsar Strikes Exposed: Satellite Imagery Debunks Operation Sindoor Disinformation
Source: ZeeNews
Related Posts: Why PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi Says Pakistan Has Trump staffer receives award for role in ‘India-Pakistan ceasefire negotiations’ Pay Row Rocks Pakistan Hockey As Players Threaten Pro League Boycott Why A Viral Harassment Video Is Being Linked To Pakistan's Debt Crisis China claims it mediated India-Pakistan conflict in May India-Pakistan Man gets life term for raising module of Pakistan based terror outfit in Assam BJP’s ‘Mini Pakistan’ Charge Pushes Kogilu Demolition Row Into New Territory Pakistan Expands United States Lobbying Through Think Tanks India's Ramjet Artillery Capable Of Blowing Pakistan's Rear Commands To Pieces
Border 2 stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty, and its teaser has already generated significant buzz. New Delhi: The much-awaited war drama Border 2, starring Sunny Deol and Varun Dhawan, is gearing up for a grand theatrical release
Just now
Breathing is largely involuntary, and one rarely gives much thought to it. But you need to consciously change it if you are breathing incorrectly. Mouth breathing, in particular, where you inhale and exhale through parted lips, can have extensive health consequences.Breathing is largely involuntary
Just now
Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence chatbot Grok said on Friday lapses in safeguards had resulted in "images depicting minors in minimal clothing" on social media platform X and that improvements were being made to prevent this
Just now
For much of the past decade, study abroad was discussed in India in terms of momentum. Numbers rose year after year, destinations multiplied, and overseas education came to be seen as an almost automatic pathway to global opportunity. In 2025, that narrative began to change
Just now
A Bengaluru woman has once again drawn attention to the city's chronic traffic congestion through a short Instagram video that quickly struck a chord with many users. The clip, shared by Anjali, was recorded from inside her car and focused on the vehicle's navigation screen
Just now
A light hearted moment from an Indian wedding has gone viral after the bride's foreign friends accidentally joined a sacred ritual, leaving social media users amused and delighted. The clip, shared on Instagram by Kanishka Chaudhary, shows her dressed in traditional bridal attire as she walks the
Just now
The issue begins with perception. Across many parts of the country, especially in Tier 2 and semi-metro cities, areca nut in its various forms is often viewed as a low-risk activity, especially compared to smoking. For adolescents and young adults, this perception of low risk
Just now
Sunil Sahu bitterly regrets the day his five-month-old son was given some cow milk diluted with tap water. Avyan was being breast-fed but his father says the family - who live in Indore city in India's central Madhya Pradesh state - gave him the diluted mixture in addition
Just now
The Chhattisgarh High Court on Friday granted bail to former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel in two cases linked to an alleged liquor scam in the state, PTI reported. Chaitanya Baghel was arrested on July 18 and has spent over five months in jail
Just now
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (January 2, 2026) targeted the BJP's double-engine government in Madhya Pradesh after at least 10 people died allegedly due to contaminated water in Indore and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is always silent whenever poor die
Just now
Liam Rosenior is the leading contender to be the new Chelsea manager - just 18 months after being sacked by Championship side Hull City - so why is he favourite, and would appointing him be a good decision? The 41-year-old Englishman has impressed with French Ligue 1 club Strasbourg
Just now
The Proteas have named a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. South Africa have named a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka in
Just now
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced significant changes to the education system in the country. He stressed the need to move beyond traditional education that only awards degrees. In today's evolving global environment, it's insufficient for young people to have just a formal
Just now
Towards the end of December, I watched the restored, original version of Sholay at a Delhi theatre. I hadn't expected to be enthralled, but I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Like so many millions of us, I have seen Sholay multiple times. I know much of the dialogue by heart
Just now
Budanov, 39, has built up a legendary reputation in Ukraine, credited with a series of daring operations against Russia since it launched an all-out assault against its neighbour in 2022. Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as the
Just now
Kolkata, The film screening committee representing the Bengali film industry on Friday wrote to Kolkata Police seeking strict legal action against individuals allegedly involved in targeted, vulgar and defamatory attacks on filmmakers and artistes through social media platforms.Kolkata
Just now
The Uttar Pradesh transport department plans to strengthen digital monitoring and road safety awareness in 2026, starting with National Road Safety Month on January 1. In 2025, state-wide campaigns and strict enforcement helped cut traffic violations significantly, with challans dropping from 17
Just now
The outspoken father of Yuvraj Singh expressed disbelief over Gill's omission, arguing that a handful of failures should not outweigh a player's quality or leadership role. Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has strongly criticised the selectors for leaving Shubman Gill out of India's T20 World
Just now
Iran's parliament speaker on Friday warned that US military bases and forces in the region would be considered “legitimate targets” if the US takes aggressive action, following President Donald Trump's threat of intervention over the protests in Iran
Just now
Brennan Johnson is set to be included in Crystal Palace's squad to face Newcastle on Sunday after finalising a club record £35m move from Tottenham. Palace are expected to announce the signing of the Wales forward inside the next 24 hours after Johnson completed the formalities of his move
Just now
Srinagar's iconic Dal Lake came alive as hundreds of shikaras carrying tourists from across India and abroad glided across its waters. After a prolonged lull since April 2025, the long-missing buzz has finally returned, signalling that the tourism industry is back on track
Just now
What do Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja and Arjun Erigaisi have in common? They are the only four players in the world ranked inside the Top 10 in all three formats: Classical, Rapid and Blitz. That alone places Arjun Erigaisi in rarefied air
Just now
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Thursday he was open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil, after weeks of an escalating pressure campaign against his government. In an interview with Venezuelan state TV, Maduro said he was ready for dialogue with the US "wherever they
Just now
While the number of communal riots declined in India in 2025, religion-based violence and exclusion shifted to more systemic forms, a new report said. The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism recorded 28 communal riots in 2025, down from 59 in 2024, a reduction of 52%
Just now
Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor sparked concern among fans after she was spotted visiting a Mumbai hospital with her father, veteran actor Shakti Kapoor, on Friday. Several videos from the visit quickly went viral on social media, showing Shraddha visibly uncomfortable after noticing paparazzi
Just now
Ferrari have officially parted ways with Zhou Guanyu, bringing an end to the Chinese driver's stint as a reserve for the 2025 Formula 1 season ahead of the major regulation reset in 2026. Zhou joined the Scuderia last year alongside Antonio Giovinazzi after losing his Sauber race seat at the end of
Just now
MeitY has issued a formal notice to X, citing serious lapses in statutory due diligence under the IT Act and Rules. The government is concerned about X's AI tool, Grok, generating and circulating obscene content, particularly targeting women and children
Just now
