QUETTA:
The main political parties of Baluchistan have awarded a call to the Traffic strike and the strike of Jam throughout the province to protest against the recent suicide attack aimed at the demonstration of the National Party of Baluchistan (BNP-M) in Quetta.
The mortal explosion, which hit Sariab Road on Tuesday, charged at least 17 lives and left dozens wounded, causing generalized indignation throughout the province.
The Announcement for the Strike was Made During a Joint Press Conference in Quetta, AddRedSed by Prominent Political Leaders-Tehreek Tahaffuz-E-Aain Pakistan Head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, BNP-M CHIEF Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Party Party Secretary General Kabir Mubir Muhammad, Anp Balochistan President Asghar Khan Achakzai, PTI Balochistan President Dawood Shah Kakar and MWM leader Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafri.
Going to the media, Achakzai strongly condemned the attack, describing him as a crime against humanity. Quoting the Sacred Koran, he said that killing an innocent person is similar to killing all humanity. “What crime have we committed that our children are being attacked?” asked. Emphasizing the constitutional right to the assembly, Achakzai said that people would continue raising slogans in favor of democracy, regardless of the threat.
He reiterated that Baluchistan is an inseparable part of Pakistan, but added that the resources of the province must first benefit the local population. Achakzai announced that air and trains services would also be suspended on the day of protest to send a clear message to the world: “We are the legitimate owners of this land and its roads.”
The BNP-M head, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, described the explosion as a conspiracy to suppress political movements, but promised not to be intimidated. Criticizing the government, he questioned why the authorities could not transfer the demonstration to the land of Hockey despite having a previous knowledge of possible threats. Lasting the silence of the media, he said: “You highlight the theft of wheelchairs of civil hospitals, but you ignore the loss of human life.”
Mengal called on merchants, transporters and members of all areas of life to participate in the protest of September 8.
The NP leader, Kabir Muhammad, said that current assemblies do not represent the will of the people and warned that the coast and resources of Baluchistan are being delivered to the federal government.
Remembering that the incident occurred on the anniversary of the death of veteran politician Sardar Ataullah Mengal, described him as a day of mourning for the entire province.
“These martyrs do not belong to a single part: they are the martyrs of all Baluchistan,” he said, urging farmers, lawyers, businessmen and political workers to join the struggle for genuine democracy.
Dawood Shah Kakar of PTI denounced the attack of September 2 as another dark chapter in the history of oppression. He also questioned the legitimacy of the current provincial government, referring to him as the “form of form 47”, a reference to the alleged electoral rig. Kakar demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Sarfraz Bugti and his cabinet.
The leader of Majlis Wahdat-E-Muslimeen, Allama Vilayat Hussain Jafri, said that tyranny never lasts and that nothing can be achieved through the use of force. “Even if we have to take 100 coffins a day, we will not go back from our mission,” he said.
At the end of the press, Fatiha was offered for the victims of the attack. The party leaders jointly announced that after the protest of September 8, all the participating political forces would devise a unified future strategy.
