QUETTA, Dec 5: The Balochistan National Party (M) has given a call for a strike in the province on Dec 7 to protest against President Musharraf’s Quetta visit.

The president is due in the provincial capital on the day. The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, the Awami National Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have supported the strike call. However, the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party called for observing a black day on the day, instead of a strike.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the central spokesman for the BNP (Mengal) said that the call for the strike had been given to condemn Gen Musharraf’s policies, including military operation, killing of Nawab Bugti, extra-judicial arrests and raids on houses of political workers.

The BNP-M appealed to the people and business community to observe the black day and strike to show their solidarity with the Baloch people.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the PPP Parliamentarians said it always extended cooperation to all political parties struggling against what it called anti-people rulers.

ANP Balochistan wing’s acting president Khudadad Khan has asked party members, sympathisers, traders and people to cooperate with the BNP-M to make the strike a success.