Baluchistan Remembers Its Nawab

The Baloch Hal News

BALOCHISTAN: Complete shutter down and wheel jam strike was observed in length and breadth of Balochistan paying glowing tributes to Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti who was waylaid and assassinated along with 70 other comrades in arms in a military action.

The strike was complete and people responded fully and voluntarily in all parts of Balochistan. No untoward incident was reported. No group of people and volunteers was found asking the people, motorists and shopkeepers to observe the strike.

In Quetta, all the major shopping centres, commercial establishment, business houses and even some of the chemists and druggists’ shops were also closed in response to the strike call. Most of the public transport remained off the road. Only some naïve motorists or more needy people were allowed to pass peacefully without any incident.

The main city centres of Quetta wore a deserted look while there was very thin or no traffic in the surrounding localities of Quetta. As a result of the thin traffic on road, very few people reported to official duty in Government offices. More than 80 per cent public servants preferred to stay back at home as there was no transport available to report for duty.

Even fewer push carts and vending carts were seen on the roads making all the streets deserted for the whole day. Since there were no people on the road, no business on the streets and the vendors were also disappointed.

The main strike call was given by the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) and two mainstream political parties—the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and National Party (NP) extended unqualified support to the strike call making it a complete success in all the length and breadth of Balochistan.

Police and heavily armed FC personnel with sub machineguns fitted on top of their vehicles patrolled the provincial Capital during the whole day.

Night before the strike, the FC personnel detained thousands of two wheelers and kept them waiting for several hours without checking their papers. It caused severe bitterness among the two wheelers on all the major intersections of Quetta where they were kept waiting for hours and hours for their no crime.

Presumably, it was part of the scare campaign of the Government to intimidate the people not to join the strike next day. It shows nervousness of the Government for the day as it drawn a very big response eroding the legitimacy of the Government to rule Balochistan, a leader of the BNP claimed.

According to reports pouring in from remote parts of Balochistan saying that strike was also observed in Mastung, Kalat, Mongechar, Surab, Khuzdar, Nal, Wadh, Mashkey. Kharan, Naushki, Dalbandin. Nokkundi, Turbat, Pasni, Gwadar, Jiwanri, Ormara, Panjgur, Mand, Tump, Awaran, Hub and dozens of other townships and human settlements of the Province.

The strike remained peaceful in all areas of Balochistan and there was no report of any untoward incident.

KHUZDAR: shutter down and wheel jam strike paralyzed the life in Khuzdar, Nal, Wadh, Zehri and Khark where all the streets and road wore deserted look as traffic of the road. Most of the commercial establishments remained closed for the day and all educational institutions were also closed. The RCD highway between Quetta to Karachi and Khuzdar to Panjgur was disrupted. The transporters and business men voluntarily closed their shops and did not bring out their vehicles.

Security was tightened in the entire district as heavy contingents deployed in several places to deal with any untoward incident.

PASNI: There was also complete shutter down and wheel jam strike in Pasni where business life has become numb for the day. Condolence references were held in different places to mark the fourth death anniversary of late Nawab Akbar Bugti.

SIBI: The strike call received positive response from trader and transporters of Sibi district where routine life was paralyzed for the day. However business was resumed in main city area as sun sets. Baloch Students Organization held a rally and after marching through different parts of the city held a sit-in on Balochistan Chowk. They offered pray for the departed soul of Lat Nawab Bugti.

KALAT: The entire district Kalat was also shut following the death anniversary of Late Nawab Bugti. Most of the shops, trading centers and even some chemists’ shop remained closed for the day. Strict security measures were taken in order to retain peace in the district. Contingents of Police and Paramilitary Forces were deputed in important government buildings.

MACH: Complete strike was also observed in Kachhi district where a bird could not fly on Thursday. All the shops, trading centers remained closed. Mach Tehsil wore a deserted look as majority of the people did not come out from their home. However boys were seen playing cricket on national highway as traffic was off the road. A Fatia Khawani was offered at Ghulam Hussain Shawani House for the departed soul of the late Nawab Akbar Bugti. No untoward incident took place as traders and shop keepers willing supported the strike. However, strict security measures were taken to maintain order.

MASTUNG: Complete shutter down and wheel jam strike was observed in Mastung and adjoining areas responding the strike call given by Baloch Republican Party (BRP) to mark the death anniversary of Shaheed Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.