QUETTA:
Balochistan’s major political parties have given a province-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike call for September 8 in protest against the recent suicide attack targeting Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) rally in Quetta.
The deadly blast, which struck near Sariab Road on Tuesday, claimed at least 17 lives and left dozens injured, sparking widespread outrage across the province.
The announcement for the strike was made during a joint press conference in Quetta, addressed by prominent political leaders — Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Party Secretary General Kabir Muhammad, ANP Balochistan President Asghar Khan Achakzai, PTI Balochistan President Dawood Shah Kakar, and MWM leader Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafri.
Addressing the media, Achakzai strongly condemned the attack, calling it a crime against humanity. Citing the Holy Quran, he said that killing an innocent person is akin to killing all of humanity. “What crime have we committed that our children are being targeted?” he asked. Stressing the constitutional right to assembly, Achakzai said that people would continue to raise slogans in favour of democracy, no matter the threat.
He reiterated that Balochistan is an inseparable part of Pakistan, but added that the province’s resources must first benefit the local population. Achakzai announced that air and train services would also be suspended on the day of the protest to send a clear message to the world: “We are the rightful owners of this land and its roads.”
BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal termed the blast a conspiracy to suppress political movements, but vowed not to be intimidated. Criticising the government, he questioned why authorities failed to shift the rally to the hockey ground despite having prior knowledge of potential threats. Lamenting the media’s silence, he said, “You highlight the theft of wheelchairs from civil hospitals, but ignore the loss of human lives.”
Mengal appealed to traders, transporters, and members of all walks of life to participate in the Sept 8 protest.
NP leader Kabir Muhammad said the current assemblies do not represent the will of the people and warned that Balochistan’s coast and resources are being handed over to the federal government.
Recalling that the incident occurred on the death anniversary of veteran politician Sardar Ataullah Mengal, he described it as a day of mourning for the entire province.
“These martyrs don’t belong to just one party – they are the martyrs of all Balochistan,” he said, urging farmers, lawyers, businesspeople, and political workers to join the struggle for genuine democracy.
PTI’s Dawood Shah Kakar denounced the Sept 2 attack as yet another dark chapter in the history of oppression. He also called into question the legitimacy of the current provincial government, referring to it as the “Form-47 government” — a reference to alleged electoral rigging. Kakar demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and his cabinet.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafri said tyranny never lasts and that nothing can be achieved through the use of force. “Even if we have to carry 100 coffins a day, we will not back down from our mission,” he stated.
At the end of the presser, Fatiha was offered for the victims of the attack. Party leaders jointly announced that after the Sept 8 protest, a unified future strategy would be devised by all participating political forces.
