QUETTA: Leaders of various political parties at a meeting held here on Friday endorsed the November 19 province-wide protest and decided to launch a public mobilisation campaign to ensure the success of the planned shutter-down strike and demonstrations.
The multiparty conference (MPC), presided over by the JUI-F provincial emir at his residence, reviewed the overall political situation and discussed measures to make the province-wide strike and protest successful.
The participants called on office-bearers and workers of all political parties to immediately convene meetings in their respective districts and launch public mobilisation campaigns to prepare people for the protest.
A statement issued after the meeting urged political parties, traders and people from all walks of life to extend full support to the ongoing protest movement, saying collective efforts were necessary to overcome the challenges facing the country and Balochistan.
The MPC also rejected the recommendations of a seminar on mineral resources held in Islamabad, describing the statement made by the Balochistan chief minister at the event as contrary to the facts.
It said all political parties in the province had rejected the Mines and Minerals Act and had not only launched protests but also approached the superior judiciary against the legislation.
The meeting recalled that an understanding had been reached to repeal the existing law and introduce a new one after consultations with political parties. It maintained that the recommendations emerging from the Islamabad seminar were unacceptable to the province’s political parties and people.
The participants also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners across the country.
They strongly condemned what they described as negative campaigns against political leaders by the incumbent federal and provincial governments and their supporters.
The MPC statement also criticised the performance of the federal and provincial governments, claiming that they had failed to provide relief to the people and that citizens’ constitutional and legal rights were being undermined, while conditions across various sectors continued to deteriorate.
Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026
