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Leaders of several major political parties in Balochistan have announced a province-wide shutdown strike on November 19, followed by demonstrations at all district headquarters, accusing the government of failing to address the provinces worsening political, security and economic crises, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, the decision was taken at an all-parties conference organised by the Awami National Party (ANP) at the Quetta Press Club, chaired by ANP provincial president Asghar Khan Achakzai. Participating parties agreed to turn their joint political and democratic struggle into a coordinated movement against what they described as growing public grievances. The leaders also announced a provincial-level meeting on November 26 to determine the next phase of their campaign. An all-parties conference will subsequently be convened in the first week of December to present Balochistans pressing concerns before the national leadership. Representatives of the National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party and other political groups attended the gathering. In a joint declaration, the participating parties described the situation in Balochistan as alarming and unacceptable, highlighting persistent insecurity, terrorism, extremism, armed group activities, targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom. They also raised concerns over the unresolved issue of missing persons, unemployment, economic deterioration and difficulties faced by transporters and passengers travelling on national highways. The declaration further blamed the closure of trade and transit routes with Afghanistan and Iran for severely disrupting economic activity across the province. Political leaders also highlighted the impact of soaring inflation, prolonged electricity and gas outages, petroleum levies and restrictions on essential agricultural supplies, including urea fertiliser, as cited by The Express Tribune. They maintained that these measures have adversely affected agriculture, trade, industries and employment. The parties launched a strong attack on the provincial and federal governments, accusing them of failing to protect citizens, maintain law and order, safeguard natural resources and restore economic stability, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)
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