QUETTA, Nov 30: The Balochistan National Party has given a call for a strike in the province on Saturday and Sunday in protest against action taken by the government to sabotage its long march and arrest of 60 activists of the party.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club here on Thursday, BNP acting chief Sajid Tareen said protest rallies would be held in Quetta and district towns of the province on Friday. He claimed that 650 leaders and activists of the party, including secretary-general Habib Jalib Baloch, had been arrested.

He said a party meeting held on Thursday had also decided to observe a black day on Dec 7 on the visit of President Gen Musharraf to Balochistan.

He appealed to people to hoist black flags on their shops and houses and wear black armbands as a mark of protest against policies of Gen Musharraf.

The BNP leader supported the Balochistan Bar Association’s decision to boycott courts on Friday in protest against arrests of BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other party leaders.

He said party workers and supporters from Karachi, Ormara, Panjgur and Pasni were not allowed to enter Gwadar to join the long march.