QUETTA, Dec 1: Police on Friday arrested over 150 leaders and workers of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal group) and National Party. BNP’s acting president Sajid Tareen, former speaker Akram Baloch and Dr Yasin Baloch are among those arrested.Sources said that 36 political workers and leaders, including Abdul Razaq Lango, Sadiq Raisani and Ghulam Rasool Lango, of nationalist parties of Balochistan, were arrested in Quetta during a protest demonstration in Sariab area.

"We have registered cases against 36 people for burning buses and damaging and ransacking public and private property in Sariab area," DIG operation Ghulam Qadir Theboo told newsmen.

He said police had taken measures to maintain law and order and protect life and property of the people during the strike and protests in the provincial capital.

Police had earlier arrested 92 workers of various parties in pre-dawn raids in various localities of the city.

According to reports reaching here, police in Turbat arrested 25 activists who were trying to take out a rally in protest against the detention of Sardar Akhtar Mengal and a large number party leaders and workers.

BNP sources claimed that law-enforcement agencies had arrested dozens of party leaders and workers from Khuzdar, Bela, Hub, Kalat, Mastung, Gwadar and Turbat.

They said that despite massive arrests the party had started its long march that would reach Quetta on Dec 10.

“Arrests and government atrocities cannot block our long march and protest. It will continue at all costs," BNP Leader Rauf Mengal said.

Meanwhile, the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) has reduced the period of power supply to many areas of Gwadar and Lasbela districts which are not linked to the national grid.

Sources said that the area included Dureji, Ormara, Jewani, and Pishkan and were receiving power supply from generators.

"After the Qesco’s decision, these towns would get electricity for 12 hours instead of 18 hours a day," the sources said, adding that 15 towns of Gwadar, Lasbela and Kharan and Chagai districts were getting power supply through generators.

According to reports, people of Jewani and Pishkan strongly reacted and as a mark of protest shut down the generators in both the coastal towns.

The sources said that hundreds of protesting people marched on the roads and chanted slogans against Qesco. They gathered at the power houses in both the towns and forced the staff to switch off the generators.

“There is no electricity in Jewani and Pishkan and the entire area has plunged into darkness," Syed Sher Jan Baloch, the provincial Minister of Gwadar Development Authority and Coastal Development, told Dawn on phone.

Three out of the four towns affected by the decision are in the constituency of federal Minister Zubaida Jalal and Syed Sher Jan Baloch.

The fourth town, Dureji, is in the constituency of Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani.

Mr Baloch and Mr Bhootani termed the Qesco’s decision an injustice to the people of the area.

They demanded that the federal and provincial governments should force Qesco to reverse the decision and that all the 15 towns should be linked with the national grid for regular power supply.