A shutter-down strike was observed across Balochistan on Saturday on a call given by the Awami National Party (ANP) against Friday’s bomb attack on its rally. Meanwhile, at least 10 workers of the ANP were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a party gathering at Quetta’s Zarghoon Road. Following the strike call, commercial areas and other business centers of Quetta, including Liaquat Bazaar, Jinnah Road and Abdus Sattar Road remained closed and less than routine traffic was witnessed plying the roads. The ANP also announced three-day mourning over the terrorist attack on its rally in which six people were killed. There was a security high alert put in place across the city, with security agencies patrolling around the city to avert any untoward situation. The strike was also observed in Pishin, Kochlak and Chaman.
Expressing grief over the killings and condemning the Kochlak massacre, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Anjuman Tajiran also announced complete backing for the strike.
