960403

Karachi

strike

bound

NAYYAR ZUBERI

KARACHI: Life in the city was paralysed on Wednesday as MQM observed a day of mourning for the death of nine activists in alleged encounters with police.

Over 80 percent industrial units in the five industrial estates, all shopping centres, about 50 percent petrol pumps, most schools and colleges, private business offices, the Karachi Stock Exchange and the Cotton Market remained closed.

Some shops in Lea Market, Empress Market and Baghdadi area remained open. The main Subzi Mandi also was open but there were no customers.

Public transport was thin but compared with the past more buses, taxis and rickshaws were seen plying, besides private cars.

Attendance in government offices, banks and other institutions was so thin that they could not function. Most of the bank branches did not open doors for public dealings.

Streets in the larger part of the city of 12 million people were almost deserted. Few people turned up for work at offices and the port for lack of public transport.

Police officials said that a teenager was killed in Baldia Town as a result of rivalry within the MQM.

In view of the strike, private schools where annual examination were going on, have rescheduled the papers. However matric science practical examinations were held as per schedule.

Unlike the past, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Abdullah Shah reacted promptly on the MQM extension strike programme for Thursday and ordered a judicial enquiry into the killings of MQM workers in allegedly fake encounters with the police.

He held out the assurance that if police officials were found guilty they would be prosecuted.

MQM sources said that the party high command would consider the Chief Minister's offer and see at what level the judicial enquiry would be ordered. They said that the enquiry should be instituted at least at the level of a High Court judge.

It is worth mentioning that MQM is seeking the support of the main opposition parties to extend the strike for another day and turn it into a countrywide shutdown on Thursday, the day when the PPP observes the death anniversary of its founder, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.