QUETTA, Nov 20: A complete strike was observed in Balochistan on Thursday to mark the first death anniversary of Nawabzada Balaach Marri.

Business community responded positively to the strike call given by the Baloch Republican Party, Balochistan National Party (Mengal) and some student organisations.

All shopping centres, markets and business establishments remained closed here and in other parts of the province throughout the day.

The provincial government had deployed heavy contingents of law-enforcement personnel to maintain peace and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the province.

The strike was observed in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Sibi, Dera Allahyar, Dera Murad Jamali, Mach, Noshki, Dalbandin, Wadah, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Dhadhar, Turbat, Pasni, Gwadar and Hub.

There was no traffic on the road in most areas of southern and central Balochistan.

Transport on national highways linking Quetta with Karachi and other parts of the country was also paralysed because of barricades placed by workers and supporters of Baloch nationalist parties.

In Quetta, however, private vehicles were seen on the road in areas under the city government. Auto-rickshaws and buses were available in the city centre, but there was no traffic on Sariab, Brewery and Sabzal roads.

At a meeting held in new Kahan camp area on Wednesday in connection with the death anniversary of Balaach, Baloch leaders vowed to continue their struggle and said that Pakistani assemblies could not solve the problems of the people of Balochistan.

They said: “Armed resistance is the only way to achieve our goal.”

Central leaders of Marri Etihad, Ali Ahmed Baloch, Sana Baloch and Dr Bashir Azim, secretary general of the Baloch Republican Party Waja Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sadiq Raisani, Shakar Bibi, Mir Humayun Marri, Prince Musa Jan, Dr Hakil Lehri, Nawab Mohammad Khan Shahwani, Sardar Naseer Mosyani, Mir Amanullah Zarakzai and Haji Jan Mohammad Baloch addressed the meeting.

They said that the sacrifices rendered by Nawab Akbar Bugti and Nawabzada Balaach Marri and other Baloch leaders and activists had convinced them that the struggle must be continued.

They called upon the Baloch people to extend full support to the movement and take the massage of the leaders who had sacrificed their lives to every nook and corner of Balochistan.

They praised Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri for supporting the movement.

All institutions, buildings, highways, hospitals and parks should be named after Baloch heroes.

The leaders said the Baloch people had their own national culture, language and status.

A resolution adopted at the meeting urged the United Kingdom and other western governments to remove Baloch organisations from terror lists.

Another resolution urged the British government to withdraw allegations it had levelled against Nawabzada Hairbyer Marri and Faiz Baloch and lift restrictions imposed on them.