Major parts of Balochistan observed a shutter-down strike on Thursday to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti during the regime of the former President, Pervez Musharraf.
As has been the case, most political parties of the restive province observed the day as “Black Day” to condemn the murder of the former Governor and Chief Minister of Balochistan.
The strike call was given by Jamhoori Watan Party run by the assassinated leader's son, Talal Bugti, and the Balochistan Republican Party. Reports from the province suggested that there was complete shut down in not just the provincial capital of Quetta but also other important towns including Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Gwadar and Turbat.
“August 26 is one such day on which all people of Balochistan, irrespective of their ethnic affiliations and conflicting political views, mourn collectively. Every citizen of the country's poorest province recalls the arrogant assault on an old ailing man who fought for the democratic rights of the people of Balochistan,” said the editorial of the first online Baloch newspaper, The Baloch Hal .
Balochis believe that Nawab Bugti was murdered by the then federal government and a major grouse is that no enquiry was ordered into his assassination. He is the father of Bramdagh Bugti whose Indian passport has become a sore point in relations between India and Pakistan. The matter had come up for discussion at the Foreign Minister level engagement last month as Pakistan remains convinced about India's role in the ongoing strife in the province.
