ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/PESHAWAR/QUETTA:
The nationwide shutdown and wheel stoppage strike called by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as its main stakeholder, met with a mixed response across the country on Sunday.
While Quetta observed an almost total shutdown, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw partial compliance and life continued largely as normal in Lahore and Islamabad.
The opposition alliance had announced the strike to mark the second anniversary of the February 8, 2024 general election, which it continues to denounce as “rigged”, and to observe a day of mourning following Friday’s suicide bombing at an Islamabad imambargah that left at least 36 people dead.
In Balochistan, the call seemed to carry the heaviest weight. Quetta witnessed a complete shutdown and wheel stoppage, with shops, markets, malls and bazaars closed and traffic reduced to a dead end.
Mobile internet services were once again suspended. PTI workers along with activists of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) led by TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai staged demonstrations in several parts of the provincial capital.
Clashes were reported in the Brewery and Khaizi Chowk areas along the Western Bypass, with protesters blocking roads by burning tires and setting up barricades. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters and reopened roads after removing barricades.
Similar scenes were seen along the Eastern Bypass while a small protest near Airport Road was also dispersed. Incidents of stone pelting were reported in Chaman, injuring a police officer. PTI’s Balochistan branch claimed that at least 40 TTAP workers were arrested during the day.
Reports from Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Harnai, Duki, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, Loralai, Barkhan, Usta Muhammad and Nasirabad indicated small protest gatherings and attempted road blockades, which were largely dispersed by the police.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the response was uneven. A partial strike was observed in Peshawar’s inner city, with shops in Hashtnagri and Rampura closed, while markets in Qissa Khwani Bazaar largely remained open. PTI organized a rally at Chowk Yadgar where banners were displayed and party leaders addressed supporters.
Calling for a shutdown strike in Haripur Bazaar and a “total blockade of public transport wheels”, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan thanked traders and transport unions for supporting the call. In Shangla, large protest rallies were held across Bisham, Alpuri, Puran and surrounding areas, with partial shutdowns reported.
Addressing protesters, PTI leaders including Shaukat Yousafzai termed the 2024 elections “the most controversial in Pakistan’s history” and vowed to continue a peaceful constitutional struggle.
But in Punjab, the strike failed to significantly disrupt daily life. In Lahore, markets showed typical Sunday activity, with most closures attributed to the weekly public holiday and the last day of the Basant festival rather than the strike. Traffic flow remained normal.
The PTI called its approach a “silent agitation” urging citizens to stay at home voluntarily, but the call received limited response.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, most markets remained open, including the weekly H-9 bazaar, which saw heavy footfall. Several traders cited economic pressures as a reason for staying open.
While metro and electric bus services were suspended, traffic across the capital remained largely unaffected.
Sindh also saw limited impact as market closures in Karachi coincided with a public holiday. PTI leaders nevertheless claimed silent protest participation in several quarters.
Despite the uneven response, the PTI and TTAP leaders considered the strike politically significant. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja termed it a “constitutional method of expressing annoyance with the system” and called it a day of mourning for the “stolen vote and terrorism”.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi congratulated supporters for what he described as a “successful” strike and called for continued peaceful resistance.
In contrast, the government rejected the call. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz declared “ZERO protests/strike/shutdown in Punjab”, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the public had rejected “agitation politics”.
Federal Minister Amir Muqam also claimed that the people of KP wanted development, not shutdowns.
