Bathinda/Patiala/Amritsar/Jalandhar/Sangrur, Oct. 16 -- Commercial centres and private schools came to a near-total standstill across several districts in Punjab on Thursday following a statewide shutdown call over the Tuesday murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa. The Punjab bandh call by Jhota's father Bhim Singh and a newly formed joint action committee, drew backing from major political parties, including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), BJP, and Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, along with state employee unions and major farmer organisations such as the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC). The impact was felt across the Malwa region. Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur and Bathinda districts witnessed total market shutdowns, while private educational institutions remained closed. Government schools were officially opened but most of them had a low turnout ofstudents. Heavy police deployment seen at key intersections as farmers assembled along national highways. Normal life was disrupted in the region as bus services were also affected while the railway traffic ran smoothly. After noticing a shop open near the dharna site in Mansa where Jhota's aggrieved family and their supporters are protesting since Tuesday, protesters ransacked the store and burnt tobacco products lying there. Later in the day, Jhota's father Bhim Singh, an ex-serviceman, said his family opposed any further call for a bandh because it impacted the livelihood of commoners. In Patiala, protesters blocked the Patiala-Sirhind road and the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway near the Dhareri Jattan toll plaza, while Punjabi University students locked the campus main gates. In Doaba, a complete shutdown was observed in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Kapurthala. Private schools and colleges remained shut, while government schools reported thin attendance. Protesters blocked the Amritsar-New Delhi highway at Paragpur and several stretches in Hoshiarpur, disrupting travel for commuters, including pilgrims heading to Himachal Pradesh's Chintpurni temple. Police subsequently detained protesters in Jalandhar to clear traffic on the national highway. In the Majha region, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts experienced near-total commercial disruption. Major markets in Amritsar, including Hall Bazaar, Katra Jaimal Singh, and Lawrence Road wore a deserted look, while the pilgrim footfall at the Golden Temple also dipped. Protesters gathered at Bhandari Bridge to halt city transport, while members of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De and Panthic groups staged marches through the city centre. Routine life was heavily paralysed across major towns in Tarn Taran, including Patti, Khemkaran, Bhikhiwind, and Khadoor Sahib, where activists staged demonstrations and blocked key routes. Gurdaspur also witnessed strong support for the shutdown, with commercial markets shuttered and public services disrupted. Meanwhile, Pathankot saw routine commercial activity, with local police detaining activists who attempted to enforce closures in the town....