Call for strike: Protests in Karachi after deadly blast in Shikarpur

KARACHI:

Hundreds of people belonging to the Shia community staged sit-ins in several neighbourhoods of the city to protest the deadly bombing at the Shikarpur imambargah during Friday prayers. The main sit-in was staged at Numaish Chowrangi while protesters also gathered on Sharae Pakistan near Ancholi Society, and the Malir Jafar Tayar Society. The number of sit-ins grew as the evening progressed.

At Numaish, a large number of people were seen carrying flags and placards. They shouted slogans, such as 'Stop violence and stop killing innocent people'. The protesters demanded military operation against those involved in killing people of their community. "[Operation] Zarb-e-Azb should also be launched in Karachi and other parts of the country," demanded Abbas Ali, a protester.

Commercial activities were suspended in some areas after the bombing but the law enforcers were deployed. The sit-ins did cause massive traffic jams on MA Jinnah Road, Sharae Pakistan and Malir Jafar Tayar Society. More parts of the city shut down soon after the strike call was endorsed by various religious and political groups.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.