QUETTA: Life in Quetta and several other district headquarters of the province was affected by a partial strike observed on Wednesday to mark the third death anniversary of veteran Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

The founder of Jamhoori Watan Party was killed in a military action in Tartani mountains of Kohlu in 2006.

In Quetta, all trade and business centres remained closed and traffic was thin. However, government offices and banks functioned as usual. Lawyers boycotted court proceedings.
 
A spokesman for the Baloch Bar Association said that lawyers boycotted courts in several towns of the province.

There was no traffic on the National Highways between Quetta and Karachi and Quetta and Taftan between 7am and 5pm.

Activists of Jamhoori Watan Party-Aali wanted to stage a demonstration outside the press club but police and FC personnel stopped them near the civil court.

Section 144 was imposed in the city and heavy contingents of police and FC personnel were deployed in sensitive areas. However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city.

The strike call was jointly given by both factions of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Baloch National Front, Anjuman Ittehad Marri, Balochistan National Party-Mengal, National Party, Baloch Bar Association and the three groups of Baloch Students Organisations.

A statement issued by BNF’s secretary general Sadiq Raisani claimed that a complete strike was observed in Nushki, Dalbandin, Taftan, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Hub, Kharan, Panjgur, Gwadar, Pasni, Turbat, Mand, Tump and Sibi.

He thanked people, traders and transporters for making the strike successful. He said that around 100 workers of his party had been arrested in Nushki, Mastung, Khuzdar, Hub, Turbat, Panjgur and Awaran.

Mr Raisani said that arrests and atrocities would not force ‘freedom fighters’ to give up their struggle. He condemned the killing of Nawab Bugti, Balaach Marri and hundreds of Baloch political workers in the military operation.

In Dera Murad Jamali and Dera Allahyar, political workers took out processions and raised slogans against the government.

Addressing the protesters, speakers said that the late Nawab Bugti wanted provincial autonomy for Balochistan and vowed to accomplish his mission.

They said that anti-Baloch forces had failed to suppress the political movement launched by Nawab Bugti.

Nawabzada Talal Akbar Bugti, the chief of his own faction of Jamhoori Watan Party, said in a statement that his party would continue its struggle against ‘oppressors’ and to protect the coast and resources of Balochistan.