QUETTA, May 9: Business activities remained suspended in several cities of Balochistan on Thursday in response to a strike call by the banned Baloch National Front (BNF) to mobilise people to boycott the elections on Saturday.

Hawkers did not distribute newspapers and trading centres remained closed in Nushki, Chagai, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Hub, Panjgur, Gwadar, Kharan, Machh, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali and Dera Allahyar.

Traffic was thin and transporters announced that till Sunday there would be no service from affected areas to Karachi, Taftan and Jacobabad.

The organisation of hawkers decided not to distribute newspapers in Quetta and striking areas between May 9 and 11.

The BNF has appealed to Baloch people to make the strike successful by boycotting the elections.