QUETTA, Nov 8: The army and law-enforcing agencies started patrolling the city on Thursday in connection with the Friday’s wheel-jam strike call given by Pak-Afghan Defence Council (PADC) and other religious parties to protest against the US attacks on Afghanistan.

The city police arrested about 50 leaders and workers of different religious parties in evening raids, and were conducting raids to arrest other leaders. The Jamiat Uelam-i-Islam, however, said the police had arrested its 55 workers and supporters.

Meanwhile, the police foiled an attempt of Balochistan University students to hold a protest meeting at the university campus and rounded up 18 student leaders and workers. The police fired tear gas shells and used batons for dispersing the protesting students.

PADC and religious parties leaders held a meeting with traders, transporters, lawyers and student organizations, and requested them to help make the strike a success.

The provincial government was said to have made all arrangements for providing security to traders and transporters and to meet any situation during the strike, and announced that nobody would be allowed to force traders to close their businesses on Friday.

A high-level meeting, presided over by Inspector-General of Police Dr Shoaib Suddle, was also held here to finalize security arrangements. The meeting, which continued for nine hours, decided that a strong action would be taken against those who were found involved in violence.

The IG warned Afghan refugees against taking part in the strike, saying that if refugees were found involved in political activities or protests, they would be deported with their families.

The administration deployed heavy contingents of law-enforcement agencies, including the Frontier Corps, the Balochistan Reserve Police, at all important places of the city and the national highways.

The student action committee and religious groups said they would cooperate with the PADC to make the strike successful.

Religious parties would hold their weekly anti-US pubic meeting at Ayub Stadium after Jumma prayers.