Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Announces Nationwide Strike on February 8, Begins Preparations in Quetta
**Quetta:**
The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) has announced a countrywide **“pahiya jam” (wheel jam) and shutter-down strike** on February 8, 2026, as part of its “Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aaeen Pakistan” movement. The party has started extensive preparations in Quetta to ensure the protest’s success.
The district committee of PMAP Quetta held a meeting at the central secretariat, chaired by party’s central secretary Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai. Reports on organizational and political performance were presented, future strategies were discussed, and district executives were instructed to implement decisions. Party leaders, including provincial senior vice president and Quetta secretary Syed Sharaf Agha, provincial general secretary Kabir Afghan, central committee member Azam Sahab, and provincial deputy secretaries Surat Khan Kakar, Malik Umar Kakar, and Gul Khalji participated.
Addressing the meeting, Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai criticized the government over political instability and alleged rigging in the February 8, 2024 elections, calling it the “darkest day in Pakistan’s democratic history.” He said the strike on February 8, 2026, would highlight political grievances and demand justice, particularly in southern Pashtunkhwa districts.
Jogezai also criticized rising unemployment, inflation, and the government’s alleged mismanagement of resources and land transfers, which he said enrich the elite while the poor suffer. He highlighted that Pashtuns are being denied employment opportunities, including closure of trade routes on the Durand Line and raids on markets and warehouses in Quetta, Karachi, and Lahore.
The PMAP leader emphasized that Pashtuns have historically been a peaceful nation, defending their land, culture, and resources. However, he alleged that conspiracies and forced conflicts have been imposed on their region to prevent development and unity. He urged the Pashtun community to remain united, protect their resources, and actively participate in the struggle for their rights.
The party announced that all regional units, including Tehsil Sadar, City, Kachlagh, and Saryab, would hold joint meetings, run door-to-door awareness campaigns, and distribute pamphlets to mobilize public support for the strike.
Jogezai concluded that the strike would also protest the government’s neglect of employees’ issues, restrictions on business, and overall worsening law and order, aiming to restore public confidence in state institutions while promoting unity and justice for the Pashtun nation.
