QUETTA: A shutter-down strike and day of mourning was observed today in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan to protest the killing of bus passengers in Mastung late on Friday.

All shops and business centers remained closed while vehicular traffic remained sparse on roads as part of the strike being observed in the provincial capital city.

Almost all political political parties of Balochistan had given the call of shutter-down strike to mourn the killings of Mastung bus passengers and express sympathy with victims' families.

Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Malik Baloch also announced three days official mourning in the province.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Nazriyati (JUI-N) activists and traders took to the streets in Quetta to ensure the closure of all shops and business centers on the eve of the strike.

Read: Gunmen storm two coaches near Mastung, butcher 19 passengers

However, JUI-N, an opposition religious party, has lashed out at the government for its failure to protect the lives and properties of masses.

"It is ironic that Prime Minister reached Karachi within hours of Safoora incident, but he is reluctant to come to Quetta," Abdul Sattar Chishti, the Central Secretary Information JUI-I told reporters.

Armed militants had killed 22 passengers in Mastung's Khad Kucha area on Friday night. The defunct United Baloch Army (UBA) had claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Besides Quetta, a shutter-down strike was also observed in Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Zhob, Loralai and other districts of the province.

The strike was also backed by the traders community, civil society and other human rights organisations. "Killing of vulnerable people is extremely condemnable," Shams Mandokhail, an activist of human rights commission Balochistan chapter told DawnNews.

He said, "the victims had nothing to do with politics or any other activity rather they were on their way to Karachi to earn daily bread for their kids."

Also read: Seven eliminated in operation after Mastung carnage

All the victims belonged to Killa Abdullah and Pishin districts and they were buried in the presence of thousands of mourners in their native areas.

The administration had taken strict security measures in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan to avoid occurence of any untoward incident during the strike.

Besides police and levies, personnel of frontier corps were also patrolling in sensitive parts of the province to maintain the order.