QUETTA; The Balochistan government on Sunday issued a stern warning to protesters ahead of a province-wide shutter-down strike set for September 8 (Monday), cautioning against any disruption to law and order.
The strike was jointly announced by six opposition political parties earlier this week in response to a deadly suicide attack on a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) rally at Quetta’s Shahwani Stadium, which killed 15 people and injured 38.
The parties backing the call include BNP-M, PTI, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, and Jamaat-i-Islami.
In its statement, the provincial government acknowledged the right to peaceful protest but warned that road blockades and disruption of daily life would not be tolerated. “Strict and immediate action will be taken against those obstructing the freedom of movement or endangering citizens through force or violence,” the Home Department said.
Authorities added that hospitals, schools, fuel stations, public transport, and markets must remain open and operational. Any attempt to target federal institutions or public facilities, the statement stressed, would invite “strict legal action.”
Meanwhile, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal released a video message urging people across Balochistan—Baloch, Pashtun, Hazara, and settlers alike—to fully support the strike. Calling the bombing a “painful and tragic act,” he questioned the state’s failure to protect civilians.
“Wasn’t it the duty of the state to safeguard these innocent people? What was the fault of BNP workers? They didn’t pick up guns, they didn’t kidnap, they didn’t loot. They only raised the BNP flag,” Mengal said.
He added that while the strike might not shake those in power, it would draw global attention to the plight of Balochistan’s people. “We want the world to know that the criminals and their atrocities will be exposed. This protest must succeed to prove that the people of Balochistan are alive and unbroken.”
