• Home Minister Langove vows solution to traders’ security concerns
• Jaffar Express suspended for two days
QUETTA: A coalition of traders, transporters and mine owners in Balochistan postponed the second day of a province-wide strike late on Thursday after successful negotiations with government authorities, ending a massive shutdown over worsening security.
Haji Muhammad Ayub Mariani, president of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, announced the postponement of Friday’s planned “wheel jam” and shutter-down strike.
The decision followed a late-night meeting with Additional Chief Secretary Home Hamza Shafqaat, Quetta Deputy Commissioner Mehrullah Badini and leaders of the Balochistan Business Alliance.
The breakthrough came hours after the strike completely cut off Balochistan from the rest of the country on Thursday.
All business activities and transport were suspended in Quetta and numerous other cities, including Gwadar, Chaman and Khuzdar.
Protesters had blocked all four national highways using heavy boulders, long-body trucks and oil tankers, halting all passenger and supply routes.
The business community launched the strike after attacks on vehicles carrying minerals intensified. Dozens of trucks have reportedly been set ablaze in several districts, causing millions of rupees in losses.
Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove, who attended the negotiations, thanked the alliance for calling off the strike. He directed that the business community’s issues be addressed immediately and promised to facilitate discussions with federal officials.
“Anti-state forces aim to achieve their malicious objectives by targeting installations, security forces, the business community and other sectors in Balochistan,” Langove said. “However, the state, the government, the business community and the public will collectively foil their plans.”
He acknowledged the government’s limitations but assured protesters of their commitment.
“The government does not possess a magic wand to solve every problem and difficulty instantly, but every possible effort is being made to resolve them,” Langove said.
Langove added that hostile countries are investing billions of dollars to undermine peace and order in the province, emphasising that everyone must unite to defeat terrorism.
Noting that protesting is a democratic right, Langove said he would ask the inspector general of police to meet with the business community soon.
Jaffar Express suspended
Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways suspended the Jaffar Express — the only train leaving Balochistan for Peshawar — for two days, citing “unavoidable reasons”.
Officials said the Quetta-bound service from Peshawar will now be restricted to Jacobabad and will not proceed into Balochistan. The Bolan Mail service from Quetta to Karachi and the Chaman Passenger Train had already been suspended.
Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026