On September 8, 2025, Balochistan observed a province-wide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, bringing cities to a standstill. Six opposition parties, including the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), called for the strike to protest a deadly suicide bombing at a BNP-M rally in Quetta on September 2. The attack, which killed at least 15 people and injured 38, has fueled outrage over rising lawlessness and terrorism in the region. As businesses closed and highways shut, residents demanded accountability and an end to violence.

The blast targeted a rally at Shahwani Stadium, organized to mark the fourth death anniversary of BNP-M founder Sardar Ataullah Mengal. Fortunately, key leaders, including BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, escaped unharmed, having left the venue minutes before the explosion. However, the attack left a devastating toll, with victims chanting slogans moments before the blast, according to Mengal. Consequently, the opposition alliance, including BNP-M, PkMAP, Awami National Party (ANP), National Party, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced the strike to condemn the violence and criticize the government’s failure to ensure security.

During a press conference on September 4, Mengal called the attack “a wound for all of Balochistan,” questioning why state institutions fail to trace suicide attackers. Similarly, Achakzai described the bombing as an assault on democracy, vowing to continue peaceful protests. “We could burn police stations, but we choose ‘Long Live Democracy’ as our slogan,” he declared, emphasizing the parties’ commitment to non-violence.