Businesses shut in Balochistan as Pakistan opposition parties protest budget, FIRs against legislators

Businesses in several towns and cities in Balochistan, including Quetta, remained shut after opposition parties called for a strike on Friday over the Pakistan government allegedly neglecting the constituencies of opposition lawmakers in the budget and for registering FIRs against 17 legislators, local media reported.

The strike was called on the claims by lawmakers that the constituencies of opposition members were ignored in the budget for 2021-22 and against the registration of an FIR against 17 legislators, reported Dawn.

The FIR against the legislators was registered for causing mayhem on June 18 related to the provincial budget of the financial year 2021-22.

The protests happened as the security force was clearing the roads leading to the Balochistan Assembly which were blocked by the opposition parties as a protest against the government.

All business and trade centres in Quetta and some other cities were closed, except for some shops in the areas on the outskirts of Quetta.

Though it was not a wheel jam strike, traffic on roads in Quetta remained thin. The members of the opposition parties took out a protest rally in Quetta.

The local administration deployed a heavy contingent of police and personnel of other security forces in and around Quetta to avert any untoward incident, reported Dawn.

( With inputs from ANI )

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