A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Mastung city on Monday in protest against reported civilian casualties and damage to a mosque and madrassa during a military operation in the Khadkucha area.
The strike was called after a mosque and madrassa in Kund Umrani were damaged in shelling by Pakistani gunship helicopters last week, which local residents said continued for nearly an hour.
Residents and the mosque’s khateeb had said the buildings were severely damaged and that several copies of the Holy Quran and other religious books inside were also affected.
All shops and business centres remained closed, with residents taking part in the strike and expressing anger and grief over the reported shelling and damage to religious sites.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam condemned what it described as firing and shelling by state forces on populated areas and religious sites in Mastung.
“Oppression and brutality against innocent lives, mosques and madrassas are creating resentment among the public against state institutions,” JUI central spokesperson Muhammad Aslam Ghauri said in a statement, adding that the authorities should act responsibly.
“Treating the public like sheep and goats is highly condemnable,” he said.
Ghauri said Balochistan was already facing what he described as a “rebellion-like situation” and warned that such incidents would lead to further unrest.
The party also expressed solidarity with the families of those affected.