Sacked Baloch lawmakers warn of strikes against Governor’s Rule

The coalition parties of the dismissed Balochistan government have announced that they would observe complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes against the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the province. Addressing a press conference, JUI-F provincial chief and Islamic Ideology Council Chairman Muhammad Khan Sherani warned that if the provincial government was not restored until January 20, the coalition parties would stage massive protests across the province and would even go to the extent of jamming airports and the railway system in the province. Balochistan National Party-Awami Asad Baloch, PPP Haji Ali Madad Jattak, Syed Ehsan Shah, Maulana Abdul Wasay, Mir Shah Nawaz Marri, Abdul Razziq and Senator Hafiz Hamdullah were also present.
Sherani said the law and order in Balochistan had been deteriorating for quite some time now but the provincial government had now been suspended because it did not succumb to the pressure of some personalities on the Reko Diq project. He demanded President Asif Ali Zardari immediately withdraw Governor’s Rule and restore the Balochistan government under Article 236, adding that if he did not withdraw the decision, the coalition parties would strongly protest against it. He announced that protest demonstrations would be carried out across Balochistan on January 20 while a complete shutter-down strike would be observed on January 25 and a wheel-jam strike on February 1, bringing the life on a standstill “as we would jam airports and railway system if our demands are not accepted”. The JUI-F leader denied that the parties intended to challenge the imposition of Governor’s Rule in courts, adding that this was so because a short time had left before the government completed its tenure. BNP-Awami leader, former minister for agriculture, Asad Baloch said their government had been dismissed unconstitutionally, adding that Governor’s Rule would not be accepted at all. He said the dismissal of a democratic government would worsen the already deteriorating law and order in Balochistan.