Quetta police arrested more than 100 protesters on Monday for violating a ban on public gatherings, as a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike called by six opposition parties plunged parts of the city into chaos. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Baloch stated that those arrested were charged under Section 144 for forcefully shutting down markets and blocking major highways. The strike was organized to protest the September 2nd suicide bombing that targeted a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) public meeting, an attack which claimed 15 lives.
The protest turned confrontational, with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds. Images from the scene showed protesters blocking roads by piling and pelting stones, as well as setting objects on fire. The protest significantly disrupted traffic, leading to the closure of the key N-25 national highway near Quetta’s Baleli Custom area, as well as sections near Hub and Mastung. The opposition Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) alliance claimed on social media that the Western Bypass in Quetta was “completely shut” and accused police of violence against workers.
The opposition parties had preemptively declared their intention to block highways, intercity roads, and routes leading to Quetta’s airport and railway station. Their call for a strike received substantial support from key local groups. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced the closure of businesses across the province in solidarity with the victims of the suicide bombing, and the Private Schools Association also declared that all private educational institutions would remain closed.
The Balochistan government had issued a warning the previous night, threatening “strict and immediate action” against anyone attempting to disrupt law and order or block roads. The suicide bombing that sparked the protests had targeted a rally marking the death anniversary of former Balochistan chief minister and BNP founder Sardar Attaullah Mengal. Prominent leaders, including BNP-M Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and PkMAP Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who had left the venue minutes before the blast, had jointly announced the strike, criticizing the state’s failure to protect the gathering.
