Quetta | September 9, 2025 – A province-wide strike called by opposition parties paralyzed life in Balochistan on Monday, with over 260 protesters arrested in Quetta and other towns for violating Section 144, blocking highways, and clashing with police.
“More than 100 people were arrested under charges of violating Section 144, forcefully shutting down markets and blocking highways,” Quetta SSP Operations Muhammad Baloch told https://t.co/YauK01KNeH.https://t.co/6l1NaunV0J
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) September 8, 2025
- The strike was organized by the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) alliance, which includes BNP-M, PTI, PkMAP, ANP, NP, and MWM. The alliance is protesting the September 2 suicide bombing at a BNP-M rally that killed at least 15 people.
- Markets, businesses, and private schools remained closed, while major highways to Iran and Afghanistan were blocked, halting cross-border trade. Only Quetta airport and railway services stayed operational under tight security.
- Police dispersed protesters with tear gas and aerial firing in areas including Sariab, Airport Road, Pashtunabad, and Jinnah Road. A senior police officer was injured during clashes.
- Among those detained were PkMAP Secretary General Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, BNP-M leader Mir Naseer Ahmed Shahwani, and ex-MNA Abdul Qahar Wadan.
- In other towns — Loralai, Zhob, Khuzdar, Gwadar, Turbat, and Mastung — around 60 more protesters were arrested.
At a press conference, alliance leaders condemned what they called government attempts to “sabotage” peaceful protest through baton charge, tear gas, and mass detentions. They announced fresh demonstrations on September 11 outside press clubs across Balochistan, with a senior leaders’ meeting scheduled for September 13 to decide the future course of action.
Opposition leaders warned that if political activists are not released, they will adopt a tougher line of action.
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