Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif have requested nationalist parties in Sindh to postpone their September 13 strike against the introduction of the Sindh Peoples Local Government Ordinance, out of respect for the lives lost in a factory fire in Karachi, Express News reported late Wednesday night.
ANP chief called the garment factory fire incident in Karachi a national tragedy, and said the entire nation was in mourning before requesting that the strike be postponed.
Termed as the worst industrial disaster of Pakistan, the fire claimed 258 lives in a span of 12 hours.
Meanwhile in Punjab, Nawaz also made a similar request, saying that those responsible for the tragedy in Karachi should be identified and severely punished.
“We mourn with the families affected by the tragedy,” he said, adding that the September 13 strike should instead be observed as a day of mourning.
Nationalist parties to go ahead with strike
Talking to Express News, various nationalist leaders of Sindh are adamant about going ahead with the strike.
Chairman Sindh United Party Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah said that although they too were saddened by this national tragedy, the strike would be observed as per schedule.
Awami Tehreek leader Ayaz Latif Palijo also said that the strike would go ahead, no matter what.
However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan’s Sahibzada Zubair seconded PML-N and ANP’s request to postpone the strike.
On the other hand, trader associations in Hyderabad had boycotted the strike, saying that regardless of what the condition was in the city, they would not participate in the strike.
Nationalist parties had called for a wheel jam strike in Sindh on September 13 to protest against the new local government system which was largely fashioned between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and promulgated through an ordinance, without presenting the new system for scrutiny before the provincial assembly.
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@pk: Awesome reply gave me goose bumps as well as tears!
Representation in Sindh.....ANP 2 (achieved through intense US pressure) / PML (N) 0 / PTI 0 / Jamaat-e-Islami 0 ....... Now let's look on the other side.... PPP (most popular party of Pakistan) 91 / MQM (only political party of Pakistan with insurmountable street power) 52 ........
NEED I SAY MORE???????
@Pungi: let me say i have no political inclination but if you aren't a witness let me share something with you I was overwhelmed when i saw the very same Karachi political party which you are talking about. Its party workers were in the inferno alongside the rescue staff helping in to recover dead bodies. Their party workers helped bring out the dead shifting them into ambulances and onto hospitals tv footages are a bear testament to this. They were dealing with rescue effort plus assisting emotionally any of relatives who came on the scene. The rescue staff along-with the concerned party workers greatly assisted in the effort. While i hope people now realize the urgency for local govt harboring capacity for local catastrophes like these.
@Pungi: Hundreds of people died and you are still looking or political benefits!! What a shame! It is better to be human then sindhi, punjabi, baloch, pathan or mohair!
So the MQM succeeds again..!
What is this baseless logic. Instead of demanding immediate resignation of Minister of Industries Sindh over his clear incompetency and poor performance, People of Sindh are asked to back off from their fundamental democratic right to protest against dark ordinance SPLG2012. MQM holds this ministry for last many many years and they have to answer about the loss of hundreds of people. However, People of Sindh are very sad on the loss of many innocent workers.
Shame on these nationalist parties. May Allah give them hadayat.
Postponement of strike will be wise. The fire tragedy must be thoroughly investigated covering all aspects including Insurance record.