The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) observed a strike in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan on Wednesday in protest against the alleged rigging in by-polls for the provincial assembly seat PB-45 Quetta-VIII.

According to a report, JUI-F workers blocked some roads and highways including Quetta-Karachi highway in Khuzdar near Koshak, the national highway near Sona Khan police station in Quetta and the Quetta-Taftan highway in Nushki. In district Nushki, a main highway adjoining Quetta-Taftan has also been blocked.

The strike was originally planned for Tuesday but has been postponed to Wednesday due to the suspension of mobile phone services in Quetta by the provincial government.

Earlier on Supreme Court’s order, the re-polling in 15 polling stations of Balochistan Assembly constituency PB-45 Quetta-VIII was held on January 5 in which candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ali Madad Jattak retained his Balochistan Assembly seat by defeating JUI-F candidate Mir Usman Pirkani.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman said that the people of Pakistan do not recognise the incumbent parliament as it is a product of ‘rigging’. Addressing a presser in Karachi, the JUI-F chief said that the newly elected parliamentarians are not representatives of the people but a product of rigging. He said that the General Elections 2024 is the most ‘rigged’ polls in the country’s history, vowing to carry out a country-wide movement against the same.

JUI-F’s provincial emir Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey claimed that his party’s candidate had won the election, but the election commission and provincial government ‘manipulated the results in favour of PPP candidate Ali Madad Jattak through Form 47, as they had done during the general elections.