Strike paralyses Balochistan

QUETTA - A complete shutterdown and wheel-jam strike was observed in different towns of Balochistan on Wednesday against the killing of two students in bomb blasts at Khuzdar Engineering University. In Khuzdar, the protest was marked by widespread violence, as infuriated protestors ransacked banks and utility stores besides torching a post office.
Two students of the varsity were killed and over 36 wounded in two bomb blasts in the campus while attending a cultural and musical show on Tuesday night.
The strike call was given by Baloch Students Organisation (BSO-Azad), which was also supported by other nationalist parties and students organisations. BSO-Azad has also announced three days and shutterdown strike today (Thursday) across against the Khuzdar incident.
According to reports reaching from Khuzdar, complete shutterdown and wheel-jam strike was observed as a protest against the incident. Unruly activists of BSO-Azad and other organisations blocked Quetta-Karachi Highway by burning tyres and erecting barricades. In this connection, a rally was also taken out rally during which the protesters chanted slogans against administration and perpetrators of the incident. They also ransacked three banks and three utility stores and also set a post office on fire.
All educational institutions in city remained closed while exams of Engineering University and Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Quetta were also postponed in view of deteriorating law and order situation.
Local administration had taken strict security steps across the district, as police backed by Frontier Corps (FC) were deployed in different areas while mobile squads of law enforcement agencies continued patrolling in various sensitive areas to avert any untoward incident.
The strike was also observed in other towns of the province including Nal, Wadh, Nushki, Hub, Turbat, Mand, Panjgur and Kalat against the bomb blasts in Khuzdar as business community and other people responded positively to the call. Baloch Bar Association boycotted courts across the province to register its protest against the killing of innocent students.
Meanwhile, President Balochistan National Party and former chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal has strongly condemned the Khuzdar incident and termed it beginning of a new operation in Balochistan. He said the rulers were force in an attempt to sabotage the Baloch movement and had launched genocide of Baloch nation, adding that the incumbent government was powerless and the real power brokers would never accept Balochistan and Baloch people.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani has announced Rs 0.5 for the heirs of victim students and directed authorities concerned for providing best treatment facilities to the injured. On his directives, some of them have already been shifted to Karachi for treatment.
He directed both commissioner and DIG Khuzdar for immediate probe into the incident and submitting a detailed report to the provincial government.
He said worsening law and order situation was a result of a well-planned conspiracy but he assured to bring the culprits to justice.