Turbat Police forcefully break shop locks amid protest against Surab airstrikes
Police in Turbat forcibly broke the locks of several shops and tried to open them on Thursday amid widespread protests. The businesses had remained closed as part of the demonstration against the recent Pakistani military airstrikes in Gidar, Surab. A video circulating on social media showed police personnel breaking into shops and attempting to reopen them in the presence of the Assistant Commissioner of Turbat.
Representatives from the local tradersโ association, Anjuman-e-Tajiran, clarified that they had not called for a strike. Instead, shopkeepers had voluntarily shut their businesses as a form of protest against the incident in Surab. The traders expressed their disapproval of police actions and emphasized that their decision to close shops was a peaceful protest rather than an organized strike.
The tradersโ association also conveyed their regret over the police intervention. They stated that the matter was brought to the attention of the Deputy Commissioner of Kech, who intervened to address the situation. Following the deputy commissionerโs involvement, the issue was resolved, and no further confrontation or unrest took place in Turbat.
Across several parts of Balochistan, a shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed on Thursday. The strike was called by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in response to the bombing of populated areas in Gidar, Surab, and the subsequent civilian casualties. The strike led to the closure of markets, commercial centers, and shops in various cities and towns.
In areas such as Surab, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, and Noshki, businesses remained closed, and traffic was heavily affected. The protests extended beyond shops, with residents and affected families holding a sit-in on the N-25 Quetta-Karachi highway in Surab. They placed the bodies of those killed during the bombing on the road as a symbol of their protest against the militaryโs actions.
The protests and strike reflected the deep anger and grief of local communities over the civilian deaths caused by the airstrikes. The ongoing demonstrations highlight the widespread unrest in the region, with residents demanding accountability and an end to military operations in their areas.
