A complete shutter down and wheel-jam strike was observed across Balochistan on Saturday over the killings of lawmaker Nawabzada Bakhtiar Khan Domki’s wife and daughter. The deceased, who were also the sister and niece of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) chief Brahamdagh Bugti, were shot dead in Karachi on January 31.
The strike call was given by the BRP and supported by the Balochistan National Party (BNP), the National Party, trade unions and transporters.
Most shops and trading centres, banks, medical stores and restaurants remained closed for the day. Traffic on the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) Highway was also disrupted for several hours in central Balochistan. Traffic between Quetta and the rest of Pakistan remained suspended for the day. The RCD Highway section which connects Quetta with Zahidan was also closed for traffic. Protesters put up barricades on all major motorways.
The strike was also observed in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Turbat, Hoshab, Mand, Buleida, Tump, Dasht, Mashkay Naal, Surab, Panjgur, Pasni, Gwadar, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Sibi, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, and other townships of Balochistan.
Heavy contingents of police, Frontier Corps and other law enforcement agencies were deployed across the province and patrolled the more sensitive areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.
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