BNP jammes wheels in major parts of Balochistan

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Wheel Jam strike was observed in major parts of Balochistan. Traffic remained suspended on RCD and national highways on Thursday in response to the call made by Balochistan National Party (BNP) protesting against what they alleged police firing on peaceful demonstrators killing an activists and wounding five others.

Most of the street and roads in the provincial capital wore deserted look as the traffic was thin due to the strike.

All the private schools and other educational institutions located in Quetta remained closed following the uncertain law and order situation. Most of the shopping and trading centers were also closed but government offices and banks functioned normally.

Security was tight in the metropolis to deal with any untoward incident. Police patrolled different areas in order to beef up the security. Security personnel continued snap checking on different intersections of the city. Today’s emergency was handed over to the Police and not to the Frontier Corps personnel. There was no explanation to it.

NAUSHKI: There were some skirmishes between the BNP workers and the FC personnel in Naushki when the FC men tried to remove the barricades erected to disrupt the vehicular traffic on the highway. The FC personnel resorted to use of force and baton charged on the protesters resisting efforts to remove the barricades and break the protest with the use of force. During the skirmishes, five BNP leaders, including Mir Khurshid Jamaldini, the District President and others sustained injuries. The other injured in the clashes were identified as Yunus Baloch, Ataullah and Dawood Shah.

Later, BNP took out a rally and after marching through different parts of the town held a protest demonstration at Gul Khan Naseer Chawk. Addressing the demonstration, district President of BNP, Khurshid Jamaldini, Younus Baloch, Comrade Hamid Baloch and Jamil Baloch strongly condemned the attack on procession in Quetta. Speakers said launching operation and target killing of the workers could not hold back the party from its destination which is self-determination.

KHUZDAR: Complete wheel jam strike was observed in Khuzdar, Wadh, Zehri and Nal where highway and all the streets wore deserted look. Activists BNP had blocked the RCD highway from different directions. The traffic was suspended for the day and people faced severe hardship as their private and passenger vans stuck on highway for many hours. Strict security measures had been taken to deal with any untoward situation in the Khuzdar and adjoining area.

MASTUNG: wheel jam strike paralyzed the traffic on RCD highway in Mastung. Strike was also observed in town where people voluntarily did not take out their vehicles. Activists of party put up barricades on highway to suspend the traffic which made long queue of vehicles.

KALAT: The wheel jam strike was also observed in Kalat like elsewhere in the province. Workers of BNP reached the RCD highway early in the morning and put up barricades and blocked the highway for traffic.

PANJGUR: An effective strike was observed in Panjgur. All the streets and roads were deserted with very thin traffic. The educational institutions and hospitals were also closed for the day. Most of the commercial establishments remained closed. The strike affected also attendance of government offices as people preferred to stay at home.

The workers of BNP took rounds of the street to ensure the strike effective and orderly.

SURAB: Complete wheel jam strike was observed in Surab as well. Enraged political activist blocked the RCD highway on early in the morning which caused difficulty for the people and transporters. Traffic was affected Quetta to Mekran Division and other parts of the province. A large number of people holding sticks look after the strike till the dust.

KHARAN: There was complete strike observed in Kharan where enraged protestors burnt tyres on different roads to suspend the follow of traffic. District President of BNP, Iftikhar Nausherwani while talking claimed that 90 per cent people voluntarily did not bring out their vehicles and supported the strike. Business activist in the town were also affected due to strike.

Strike was also observed Bolan, Sibi, Dhadar, Besima, Nag, Turbat, Mand, Gwadar, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Pasni, Chagai and some other remote towns of the province. The enraged protestors put up barricades and blocked the national highway from different directions suspending the routine traffic in order to make the strike more affective.

Most of the transporters, particularly passenger busses and coaches, shut their business following the strike even though a large number of vehicles, including small and big, were stuck on highways for several hours. NATO supply was also suspended on Thursday.

BNP took out rallies and held demonstrations in Panjgur, Surab and Naushki condemning the firing on protest rally of BNP in Quetta which claimed a life of political worker. They demanded to lodge an FIR against that police officer who issued order of firing on peaceful procession in Quetta.

Central Secretary Information of BNP, Agha Hassan Baloch, claimed that the people had expressed complete solidarity with the BNP and its strike call as it was evident from people’s response. The Government contention had been rejected as 80 per cent of the population of this Province supported the BNP call and it should be an eye opener to the Government and the state functionaries launching covert attacks on the BNP activists.