Security personnel were stationed outside the Lakpass Tunnel on Sunday, blocking it with shipping containers to prevent BNP-Mengal protesters from marching toward Quetta. Law enforcement encircled the sit-in to arrest Mengal, while the party called for a province-wide strike in Balochistan today. Police arrested nearly two dozen individuals as protesters clashed with them.
The Balochistan National Party’s (BNP-M) long march to Quetta failed to proceed to the provincial capital after missing its April 6 deadline. A heavy deployment of law enforcers surrounded the protest camp to arrest party leader Akhtar Mengal, who announced a shutter-down strike across the province on Monday. Mengal vowed to continue the sit-in at Lakpass on the outskirts of Quetta until authorities met their demands. He urged party workers and supporters to block all provincial highways and hold sit-ins whenever authorities stopped them.
The Balochistan government indicated that Mengal risked arrest under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law if the march advanced towards Quetta. According to Shahid Rind, the Balochistan government spokesperson, security personnel surrounded the BNP sit-in camp at Lakpass to ensure Mengal’s arrest. Mengal confirmed the encirclement of the camp, stating their protest at Lakpass would continue. He instructed party members prevented from joining the march to stage sit-ins and block roads in other towns.
Supporters clashed with police in Sona Kahn, on the outskirts of Quetta, resulting in over two dozen arrests. Protesters blocked roads and streets in Sariab, the western and eastern bypasses, and other areas. They burned tires, erected barricades, and pelted the police with stones, leading to widespread traffic disruptions and ongoing clashes throughout the evening. Protesters blockaded major junctions, including Mughal Chowk, Faizabad, and Killi Bangulzai, stranding commuters and transporters.
