Pakistani paramilitary soldiers watch over demonstrators after gunmen opened fire on labourers in the Mastung area, in Quetta on September 13, 2012. Nine labourers were killed on Thursday when gunmen riding on motorbikes sprayed bullets at road workers in Pakistan's troubled southwestern province of Baluchistan, officials said. - AFP Photo

QUETTA: A complete shutter down strike was called in several areas of Balochistan, including Quetta in protest against the killing of ten labourers in the Mastung district of the province, DawnNews reported.

The strike was called by the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) with support from the two factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, JUI-F and JUI-I, and Awami National Party (ANP).

Anjuman-i-Tajran Balochistan also lent their complete support to the strike.

The strike brought all economic and social activities in the affected areas to a complete halt.

Banks did not engage in any transactions, adversely affecting the normalcy in the strike affected areas of the province. The traffic also remained less than normal.

During the strike in Quetta, Liaquat Bazaar, Abdul Sattar Road, Meezan Chowk, Kandhari Bazaar, Jinnah Road, Masjid Road and all other commercial centres in the adjacent areas remained completely closed.

Furthermore, the strike has adversely affected the daily wage labourers who have to experience serious difficulties in making ends meet due to the lack of economic activity on most days.

To avoid any untoward incidents in the strike affected areas, strict security arrangements have been made by stationing various units of Frontier Corps, Balochistan Constabulary and the police with special focus on the most sensitive areas.

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