Balochistan Political Parties Announce Province-Wide Strike on September 8 Over Saryab Road Blast

Quetta: Political parties in Balochistan have announced a province-wide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on September 8 in protest against the suicide attack on Saryab Road, Quetta, on September 2.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference attended by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, BNP President Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Party Secretary General Kabir Muhammad, ANP Balochistan President Asghar Khan Achakzai, PTI Balochistan President Dawood Shah Kakar, and MWM leader Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafari.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai condemned the attack near Shahwani Stadium, calling it a crime against humanity, and reiterated that holding rallies was a constitutional right. He stressed that Balochistan is an integral part of Pakistan, but its people must be recognized as the primary stakeholders in its resources.

BNP’s Sardar Akhtar Mengal termed the blast a conspiracy to silence political struggle and criticized the government for failing to provide adequate security despite prior threat alerts. He urged traders, transporters, and citizens to actively participate in the September 8 strike.

National Party’s Kabir Muhammad said the tragedy, which occurred on the death anniversary of veteran leader Sardar Attaullah Mengal, was not just BNP’s loss but the sorrow of the entire province. He emphasized that true democracy remained absent in the current assemblies and vowed to continue the struggle for people’s rights.

ANP’s Asghar Khan Achakzai said federal policies crafted in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were destroying the livelihoods of Baloch and Pashtun communities. PTI’s Dawood Shah Kakar declared that “September 2 marked a new chapter of oppression” and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and his cabinet.

MWM’s Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafari stated that oppressors could never prevail and vowed that even mass casualties would not deter their movement.

At the conclusion of the press conference, prayers were offered for the victims, and leaders announced that after the September 8 protest, all parties would jointly decide the future course of action.