National Party Condemns Crackdown on Workers After Balochistan Strike

QUETTA:National Party’s Central Social Media Secretary **Saad Dehwar** has strongly condemned the government’s crackdown on political workers following the province-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike against the **May 2 suicide attack** on a BNP rally, which left dozens dead and more than 70 injured.

In a statement, Dehwar said that instead of conducting an **impartial investigation** into the tragic terrorist incident and ensuring justice, the government—“imposed on the people of Balochistan through Form-47”—reacted with panic over the success of the historic strike. He alleged that security forces injured and arrested dozens of political workers and leaders, sending them to various police stations and jails.

He emphasized that under the **Constitution of Pakistan**, every citizen has the right to association and peaceful political protest. However, the current situation reflects “a state of lawlessness and oppression” that exposes the “ugly face of an incompetent and imposed government.”

Dehwar noted that intimidation and harassment tactics have never been able to silence political workers in the past and would not succeed in the future, stressing that the workers’ morale remains high. He welcomed the fact that after a long time, Balochistan’s **genuine political representative parties had come together on one page**, resulting in a highly successful strike that even affected **railways and airports**. This, he said, demonstrated the unity of true political forces and the will of the people.

The National Party leader condemned the arrests of **Ali Ahmed Lango, Provincial General Secretary Chingiz Hayee Baloch, Haji Niaz Baloch, Mir Abdul Khaliq Baloch, Mahmood Rind**, and other workers during the strike. He demanded their **immediate release** from custody.