A photo showing deserted roads of Karachi during a strike. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI: The Shia Ulema Council (SUC) has called off its strike in Karachi at the request of the Karachi Traders Association (KTA), though many roads continued to be blocked due to protests.
The SUC had called the strike on Monday as a protest against the bombings in Quetta that killed more than 80 people on Sunday.
The KTA chairman has said that businesses will re-open from 4pm this evening in Karachi.
Earlier, political and religious parties had supported today’s call for strike, while the lawyers’ community decided to boycott courts in protest.
The outlawed sectarian group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) had claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing.
Throughout the day, sit-ins were organised in Ancholi, Ayesha Manzil and Federal B areas of Karachi and on Sharah-e-Faisal and MA Jinnah road to protest the bombings, with road blockages and transport delays creating problems for many people.
Even though the strike was called off, roads in many parts of the city continued till late evening.
Firing in Patel para
Heavy contingents of police and Rangers have been deployed in Patel Para area of Karachi after armed men had fired at a hotel, Express News reported.
Express News correspondent Nadeem Khan reported that armed men and security forces were intermittently trading fire.
Some protesters in the area have also torched two motorcycles and tyres, thereby blocking the road for traffic.
Police have resorted to firing tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Blast near FTC building
An explosive device planted under the Federal Trade Centre flyover on Korangi road went off on Monday evening, Express News reported.
Express News correspondent Nadeem Khan reported that the explosion blew up a piece of the kerb under the bridge, as the blast was heard for miles around. The blast left a crater at least a foot deep.
Fortunately, police said only a few cars were damaged by the exploding planted device, but there were no injuries or loss of life to report.
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After Afghanistan Dirty Game coming to Pakistan..........?????
targeted operatons must be conducted against terrorist in quetta and karachi as well....both the places are facing abnormal situations of law and order
the protest call isnt just in Khi only, its happening in other cities as well.
Anybody's chacha mama aur taya dies, city is closed..
Be it Benazir assasination in Pindi, Be it Bugti targeted Operation in Balochistan, Be it ANP leader targeted killing in KUP or be it bomb blasting against the shias, Its karachi that suffered the most despite of its non association with the event. Its a misery that whatever happen across pakistan, its karachi that suffers the most undoubtedly.
Misery...!
The extreme stance that poeple are now taking is because security agencies are not taking action against those banned organizations who are openly killing our citizens and army jawans. A year ago, i was also thinking on the same lines that we should not suffer common man with these strikes and all. But, not now. Not any more.
These organizations are openly challenging Army's writ in KPK and Balochistan, beheading our soldiers and nothing has been done to teach them a lesson. A big why?
why karachi.....whole country is enjoying a normal life except this city even after the quetta bombings
the perpetrators should be immediately arrested and the shia community should not forsake their peaceful demonstration until the killers are sent into the prison..all communities in quetta should support the aggrieved ppl.
what i dont understand is that what has karachi got to do with the bombings in quetta.. okay we feel sorry and we sypathise but make the lives of just the people of karachi miserable !! you want to protest... sit on the pavement and protest let the others earn theri daily wages and move about their daily routines. why are you stopping people frlom getting education.. why are you stopping the country from earning revenue ??? Sit -in are useless and its for lazy people who cant get things done !!
if we dont stop this hate today in Quetta that day is not far when whole country including Karachi will fall into this fire. here is my take on it, stop hate to stop shia killings . http://stopextremism.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/hate-is-the-reason/
Why were more extreme demands made to bring those responsible to their knees during the FIRST set of sitdowns? The chance to demand a change and have an entire country back it up, was then. Now its just another sitdown and another standstill.
Khi needs to spared by the government and the protestors for any and all causes. Its citizens' right to normal lives is constantly denied by these forces.
So it's like if we have suffered, other should suffer too? People of Pakistan need classes on how to protest without others life miserable.
I really don't understand why Karachi comes to stand still if anything bad happens anywhere in the country or for that matter in any other country. Why not other parts of Sindh, or Punjab or KPK??? What wrong have we done??
What to say ? no words can ever express the sorrow, grief and suffering of thousands of innocent family members of those who have been killed for no reasons at all. We can only helplessly watch and pray for the dead and alive both. A small seed of hate planted by our fore fathers propagating that people of different faiths can not live together has today grown into such a huge wild tree that the roots have gone unfathomable and we see only dead, blood, destruction, helpless masses of human beings sobbing…. beating their breasts. Today I bow my head in memory of all the sufi saints who were showing us a glorious way to live together.
Y Karachi Only? Karachi contributes more then 70% of revenue. shame on us
I can understand the feelings of relatives of those peoples who die in this incident and my sympthy with them. But what is fault of common man whos earning depands upon daily wages and why always Karachi. Offices will never close in these strikes and all of us face difficulty in reaching office. In almost every week there are 1 or 2 days in which such situation appears.
No one knows shooting one's self in the foot better than us Pakistanis
Not even one TV talk show in Pakistan discussed this. Not even a cursory mention of this tragic incidence. This is how unbiased and independent is Pakistan's media. Shame on all anchors and TV channels.
How can the people of Karachi survive?? If we are doing nothing a day in a week other than weekends. No trade , no education, no work for daily wages, no social activities and no mobilization.
The government has failed to provide safety and security to the citizens.It has no right to rule now or in future.Economy has been destroyed
Why Karachi? Hazaras were targeted in Quetta. Life is normal in Quetta today but Karachi has come to a standstill... Karachiites are not given the freedom to move today...
1 ,2 ,3 ,4 or 5 days will not do anything. why people don't understand this. indefinite voluntarily shutter down strike all over Pakistan. or 200 , 300 million people march or another tahrir square will bring on the change or the policy change. anything else no way.
Wonder what on earth the strikes do in helping people get justice ! Though it was a heart wrenching incident. May ALLAH bless the departed souls and their families.
Because This silence from the officials is inhuman... They are not doing any targeted operation against Lashker E Jhangvi, this is suspicious and Question mark on the face of SUPREME COURT AND SECURITY AGENCIES...
Karachi spends most of its time " standing still" these days. Doesnt practically do anything to convict the perpetators or change the hate filled mindset behind these awful crimes (or cutting off of funds).