Life stands still as Balochistan pays glowing tribute to Balaach Marri

By Malik Siraj Akbar

QUETTA: Not a signle bird flew across Balochistan on Friday as a complete wheel jam and shutter down strike was observed across Balochistan on Friday to mark the second death anniversary of prominent Baloch nationalist leader Nawabzada Balach Marri, a son of veteran Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri.

Balach Marri had been killed in mysterious circumstances on November 20, 2007 in a Pak-Afghan border town.  A former member of the Balochistan Assembly, Balach,45, was believed to be leading the ongoing Baloch resistance fight in the country’s resource-rich Balochistan province.

Friday’s call for a complete strike was given by the Anjuman-e-Ithad-e-Marri , Baloch National Front  (BNF) and was positively responded to all nationalist parties , business communities, various transport and business associations and the legal fraternity.

Daily businesses remained completely paralyzed in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, where all shops, hotels and the offices of private companies were shut. Traffic  on the city roads remained very thin.

Shops on Jinnah Road, Liquat Bazaar, Prince Road, Abdul Sattar Road, Brewery Road, Sariab Road and rest of the city were completely shut.

“Everyone across Balochistan supported the shutter down strike call which shows that Balach Marri, who sacrificed his life for the rights of the Baloch people, is recognized as the undisputed hero of Balochistan,” said a spokesman of the Baloch National Front (BNF). The spokesman said Balach had written a new chapter of struggle and sacrifice in the Baloch history and he would be remembered forever as  a hero who fought for the rights of his people during the military regime of former army chief-cum-president General Pervez Musharraf.

Daily life remained completely paralyzed in Mastung, Kalat, Noshki, Turbat, Panjgur, Awaran, Gwadar, Naseerabad, Sibi, Khuzdar and other districts of Balochistan following a successful strike. The strike remained completely peaceful throughout the province as no untoward incidents were reported from any part of the province.

Police and FC continued to patrol different districts throughout the day in order to grapple with any unpleasant incident.

The Baloch Bar Association (BBA) also marked the day as a black day and boycotted the courts’ proceedings to pay respect to a Baloch leader who gave up all comforts of a princely life and took to the hills to fight for the rights of the people of Balochistan.

“Balach Marri will continue to inspire several generations of the Baloch nation because of his commitment with a clear goal which is the attainment of the rights of the Baloch. As the son of the Marri tribal chief and the member of Balochistan Assembly, Balach could surely avail all sorts of offers extended to him by the government but he gave preference to the Baloch national liberation movement over the comforts of worldly life,” Sadiq Raisani, the president of the Baloch Bar Association, told the Baloch Hal.