Balochistan: Partial strike observed against governor’s rule

Traders, transporters detach selves from JUI-F, BNP-A strike.

QUETTA:

A partial wheel-jam and shutter-down strike was observed in cities across Balochistan on Friday in protest against the imposition of governor’s rule in the province. The strike had been announced by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and the Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A).

Traffic on the roads in the provincial capital remained thin in the early hours of the day and markets across the city remained closed. Some schools in the city had also declared Friday a public holiday in order to avert any untoward incident. Roads in the city seemed less deserted after around 11pm, but the bus service in the city was suspended the entire day.

In several places, JUI-F and BNP-A activists coerced shopkeepers into closing their businesses. Party workers also blocked highways leading to other parts of the provinces. However, the day witnessed no major unpleasant incident in the face of stringent security measures taken by the administration. Police arrested as many as 20 people for pelting shops and vehicles with stones while trying to enforce the strike.

However, BNP-A’s Dr Nashnas Lehri and Senator Hafiz Hamdullah alleged that police had arrested some 100 workers from their parties. They also accused police of shelling party activists with tear gas.

Apart from Quetta, strikes were also observed in Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Nushki, Dalbandin, Musakhel, Pishin, Turbat and Muslim Bagh among other districts.

The Anjuman-e-Tajiran and several transport associations had detached themselves from the strike, though.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2013.