QUETTA, Sept 6: A wheel-jam and shutter-down strike was observed throughout Balochistan on Wednesday on the call of All Parties Conference in protest against the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, military operation in Kohlu and arrests of hundreds of political workers.

Life was paralyzed in the provincial capital as trade centres, shopping plazas, business establishments and shops remained closed in the city and its suburbs and private and government vehicles remained off the road.

Reports from other parts of the province say that protestors blocked national highways linking Quetta to Karachi, Taftan and Jacobabad at different points. Protestors burnt tyres on the coastal highway between Gwadar and Karachi to block the traffic.

A statement issued by the APC, comprising the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, Pakistan Oppressed Nations’ Movement and Awami National Party, thanked the people for observing the peaceful strike.

The statement said that strike had been observed in Pishin, Chaman, Loralai, Zhob, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Hub, Gwadar, Pasni, Panjgur, Turbat, Sibi, Dera Allah Yar and Dera Murad Jamali.

Ponam sources said that an APC meeting would be held here on Thursday to review political situation in Balochistan with particular reference to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal decision to remain in the provincial coalition.

Meanwhile, Balochistan National Party-Mengal Secretary-General Habib Jalib in a statement has condemned the arrest of the party’s Gwadar district president Abdul Ghafoor and the National Party’s local leader Mr Hussain.

Mr Jalib alleged that police in Quetta was raiding the houses of political activists and said that the military operation and the arrests could not force the Baloch and Pukhtun people to give up the struggle against the military dictatorship.

He said that the protest launched by the nationalist parties after the killing of the Jamhoori Watan Party leader would continue till the government decided to halt the military operation and resolve the issues politically.