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

JUI-F workers blocked several roads and highways, including the Quetta-Karachi highway near Khuzdar’s Koshak area and the national highway near Sona Khan Police Station in Quetta. In Nushki district, the main highway connecting Quetta to Taftan was also obstructed.

The strike, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed to Wednesday due to the suspension of mobile phone services in Quetta by the provincial government.

Re-polling in 15 polling stations of the Balochistan Assembly constituency PB-45 Quetta-VIII took place on January 5, as per Supreme Court orders. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Ali Madad Jattak retained his seat, defeating JUI-F’s Mir Usman Pirkani.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the election process, declaring the parliament illegitimate due to widespread rigging. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, he labeled the 2024 General Elections as the most rigged in Pakistan’s history and vowed to launch a nationwide movement against election irregularities.