Most of the markets in Quetta were shuttered down on Wednesday on a strike call of political parties to protest against likely change in the route of Pak-China Economic Corridor (PCEC).
Political parties including Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Nazaryati and Hazari Democratic Party had called on a shutter down strike in Quetta against the alleged change that took place in the rout of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The shutter-down strike is also being observed in scores of other cities and towns of Balochistan. The shops and business centers were also closed in Chaman, Pishin and other areas of the province.
The traders bodies in the provincial capital have backed the shutter down call.
The protesting parties claimed that the original route of the corridor was Gwadar-Khuzdar-Quetta-Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan which has been changed to Islamabad-Lahore-Multan-Karachi-Gwadar only to facilitate Punjab. They said that the change would surely harm the national integrity.
