Sardar Muhammad Khondai, Asmat Hanafi, Ayub Bhutto, Riaz Baloch, News Desk:
Quetta, September 8 — Police in Quetta and several districts of Balochistan have arrested more than 200 opposition political workers and leaders in a sweeping crackdown following protests against last week’s deadly suicide bombing near Shahwani Stadium.
In Quetta alone, police detained over 100 individuals during raids in Sariab, Airport Road, Brewery, Bypass, and the city center. Prominent figures among those arrested include Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP)’s Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Qahar Khan Wadan, Balochistan National Party (BNP)’s Malik Naseer Shahwani and Tahir Shahwani, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Syed Agha.
Arrests Across the Province
The crackdown extended well beyond Quetta:
- Sorab: BNP district president Abdul Latif and three workers detained for blocking the Quetta–Karachi highway.
- Mastung: BNP’s Haji Anwar Mengal and National Party’s Mir Sikandar Mulazai among 14 workers arrested.
- Loralai: Seven activists from ANP and PkMAP arrested.
- Jaffarabad: Eight workers, including National Party’s Abdul Rasool Baloch and Abdul Hakeem Baloch, BNP’s Murad Baloch, and Nasirabad divisional president Adam Rind, taken into custody.
- Nasirabad: Nine arrested.
- Duki: PTI’s district general secretary Majeed Nasir among 16 detained.
- Ziarat (Sanjavi): Four political activists arrested.
- Kalat: Several arrests reported.
- Chaman: At least 15 PkMAP workers detained.
Conflicting Narratives
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Daily Quetta Voice that the arrests were made after protesters allegedly pelted stones at vehicles and forced businesses to shut down.
Opposition parties strongly rejected this claim. At a joint press conference, Rauf Lala, a leader of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, accused police of using “unprovoked tear gas and baton charges” against what he described as innocent political workers. He insisted that peaceful protest is a democratic right, but said the government was unwilling to tolerate dissent.
Rising Political Tensions
The arrests come amid growing political unrest in Balochistan, where opposition parties have been staging demonstrations against the government’s handling of the September 2 Quetta suicide bombing, which killed and injured dozens.
Analysts warn that the police crackdown may further deepen mistrust between the provincial government and opposition groups, risking prolonged instability in the province.
