QUETTA, April 8: Opposition parties have given a call for a shutter-down strike in Balochistan on April 15 against the besieging of houses of Balochistan National Party leaders, military operation in the province and merging of levies and police departments.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the press club here on Saturday, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Abdur Rahim Lala, National Party leader Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Balochistan National Party (Mengal group) leader Sajid Tareen, Jamhoori Watan Party leader Sardar Naiz Mohammad Breach, Awami National Party leader Najimuddin Kakar and People’s Party Parliamentari-ans leader Syed Sadullah Shah said a meeting of the opposition parties held on Friday had also decided to hold protest rallies on April 13 and 14 in Mustang and Kuchlak, respectively.

They held the military government responsible for political and constitutional crises and disharmony between the smaller provinces and the federation. They vowed to continue their struggle against the army rule.

They said denial of rights to the smaller provinces had destabilized political and democratic institutions in the country.

They regretted that hundreds of people had been killed or injured in the Balochistan operation while many more had been put behind the bars.

Senator Sana Baloch, MPA Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal and others opposition leaders were also present.