QUETTA, Nov 16: A shutter-down strike and a black day were observed in the provincial capital and others parts of Balochistan on Thursday on a call of the National Party to protest against the visit of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to Gwadar and Turbat.

More than 100 political activists were arrested for “forcing people to close their shops” in Quetta, police sources said. The National Party claimed that its secretary-general Mir Hasil Bizenjo had been arrested in Gwadar, and 147 party workers in Quetta.

Shopping plazas, trade centres, markets and medical stores remained closed on the Jinnah Road, Sharea Iqbal, Meezan chowk, Liaquat bazaar and the Joint Road.

The People’s Party Parliamentarians, Jamhoori Watan Party, Balochistan National Party (Mengal group), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Aawmi National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Jamaat-i-Islami, Anjuman-i-Tajran and the Baloch Students Organisation supported the strike and observed a black day.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club here, National Party chief Dr Hayee Baloch said the successful strike and black day proved that people were against “anti-Balochistan policies” of the Gen Musharraf government.

He thanked nationalist groups, political parties, traders’ bodies, students’ unions and other associations for cooperating with the party in the protest.

Dr Hayee said the strike was observed in Quetta, Mastung, Kalat, Nushki, Dalbandin, Khuzdar, Kharan, Panjgur, Turbat, Gwadar, Bela, Hub, Bolan, Sibi, Dera Allah Yar and Dera Murad Jamali.