A photo showing deserted roads of Karachi during a strike. PHOTO: ONLINE
Public transport was off the roads in all major cities of Sindh, while petrol pumps and CNG stations were shut down.
Educational institutions also remained closed for the day, while Matric, Intermediate and university examinations were postponed.
The MQM’s Rabita Committee had called for a day of mourning on June 5 when bodies of four factory workers were recovered in the city’s Malir area.
The party had asked the business community and transporters to support their call.
MQM announced the strike will come to an end at 4pm today.
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very surprised to note such an ignorance from the history of pakistan. In fact struggle for pakistan was done 90% by the muslims living in UP, Behar, Rajhistan, East Punjab. In the election of 1938 Quide Azam Muslim League got only 2 seats in punjab. Please do not belie the truth and at least recognize the struggle and sacrifices done by Indian Muslims. You people hate MQM but try to make friendship with clear opponents of Pakistan like nationalists in Sindh and Baluchistan and also very eager to talk and hug Taliban who are fighting with Pak army. What a hypocrisy !
@Waiting: You are so genius. They kill their own men just to waste their money on (a) bullets (b), their energy and as well as their votes. How genius of you.
@Aysha: how blind can you be.claiming that only one ethic group is suffering while it is perpetuating the most violence.
Poor dead people get awarded the Title: "MQM Ke Humdard"!
@Aysha: Save your propaganda for those without brains. Its the MQM killing its own people so that they can (a) get rid of 'unwanted' elements and (b) play the victim card
@Aysha:
"You are so right but regretfully Quiad-e-Azam showed complete disregard to integration and presented the Two Nation Theory"
Now I understand where you come from. Isn't your leader said in India, "Pakistan is the biggest blunder of history". My dear, why did you yourself refuse to integrate and migrated to intolerant Pakistan. You should have remained in "the most tolerant country in the world, India", instead of now blaming the most beneficent person of the Pakistani nation. Anyway, you are welcome to go back, no body would to stop you.
Dear MQM, please stop sucking blood of innocent Karachi citizens. let them live and do their work.
@Karachiite:
"India was not the birthday cake but cut into pieces!!"
Indian sub-continent was already cut into more than 580 pieces even under British rule. India had never been a single country from pre-historic times till today.
@Shahid:
"tomorrow will be a petition at the UN for the right to self-determination."
Sure. You don't even need plebiscite, we already allow to go back to your homeland.
@AK:
"While people in Karachi are being forced to observe mourning day, wondering what MQM leader in London would be doing right now!!!"
Ghum ghalat.
Its typical of MQM, whenever they face any issue they shut down Karachi. MQM, being the 'stakeholder' of Karachi, does not care about the economic loss and the problems that are faced by Karachiites. Shame.
@Lahori Munda: Had they integrated and shown no reluctance to social or political changes, things might have been quite different.
You are so right but regretfully Quiad-e-Azam showed complete disregard to integration and presented the Two Nation Theory
@Rabael Malik: Integration needs to be facilitated and not hampered by quota system and government forms in which the place of birth of your grandfather is asked for
@Anonymous: India was not the birthday cake but cut into pieces!! So there is no holly land cannot be cut if injustice is done.
@Shahid: so what is your problem with this when people are not treatd justly in a country UN is the world forum to petition for rights
We didn't ask for a WHOLE day of mourning when all of Karachi lost their voice, lost their right to pick their leaders, the 11th of May. That was a very sad day for Karachi.
To all those who call it forceful strike, for your kind info, business community willingly halt their operations on MQM's appeal. No cars were torched, No areas experienced aerial firing so stop living in myths. And to all those who oppose this day of mourning, just go once to the deceased families and you will know what pain is. Sitting in your comfortable rooms and commenting is very easy. MQM and its supporters protested for a whole day long with the dead bodies of their voters, but neither the media shown it as Dharnas of PTI are aired nor did any court take notice despite of MQM's filing petitions. This nation is unbelievable. They cry for target killings for innocent killings but when party like MQM decides to raise voice for them they suddenly start criticizing their move. Once just once, step out of your comfortable rooms to join MQM in these protests against these killings and i guarantee this barbarism, if not stop, will reduce in Karachi.
@Shahid: Mr Day Dreamer: Pakistan is not your birthday cake that can be cut into pieces.
@ Anonymous What Aysha says is perfectly true. So you want her to sugar coat it in politically correct language so not to hurt your feelings. Deal with. Not all ethnic groups have the same level of education. Some ethnic groups are congenitally violent and well-known for their macho culture.
If the LEAs and the Punjabi CJ cannot ensure justices , this is the only way to record your protest . We feed Pakistan .Our say is to be honored .Period .
@Aysha: You may read the pre-partition history again and please do so very carefully. Apologize to be blunt but the fact is that the Muslims of UP and CP had difficulty living with followers of other religions. Their empire with its center in Delhi gone, their darbari language and mores replaced by English norms, values, and language but they were still living in "paradise Lost." Had they integrated and shown no reluctance to social or political changes, things might have been quite different. Came over to the new country and their ethnic antagonism took a different color. There were no Banyas, Khatris, Mahjins (the emerging economic and political elite) but there were Bengalis, Sindhis, Punjabis, Baluchis and Pathans, and you declared them aliens in their own land. Regret to say that the Urdu speaking elite and masses have problem of getting along with others. Get over your snobbery, indifferent attitude, and false pride before you start re-writing history. Oh, by the way the way the highest price was paid by Punjabis on both side of the divide and irrespective of their religion.
Seize all the assets of these MQM hoodlums and compensate everyone who lost business and wages because of them.
''Karachi is the most unfortunate city where the transport system is in the hands of the least educated and most temperamental section of the society''
@Aysha: This naked racism will not take you anywhere.
To all those who are opposing this day of mourning, just go once and ask the families of these 4 innocent factory workers and you will get your answers. MQM protested for the whole day yesterday with bodies of these poor souls. Where were you then? Why didn't you guys come up and ask for justice for them? Because you guys are cowards and brain-washed w ho thinks every illegal activity in Karachi is done by MQM. Learn to face the truth. Next time, GOD FORBID, if any mishap happens with your family, just remember that there will be no one to raise voice for you. This nation is so brain-washed that they criticize and hate that party that is raising voices over these brutal killings. You guys are better-off with NS Zardari IK.
People here really should be ashamed. While a strike is illogical over killings people must sympathise with MQM over the killings. Killings of their workers are wrong. People here don't realise how much worse the Lyari terrorists are than MQM thugs. Seeing the brutality of the Lyari gangsters myself, I can't even compare it with the dreaded and wrong actions of MQM over the years. I'm not an MQM supporter but against the Lyari gangsters i'll happily support MQM since our police and govnment will never get rid of these people.
If the authorities do not heed to MQM complaints of discriminate killing of its workers, what other option is left to record their protest peacefully. There are no regret comments on the news of killing of MQM workers who were also Pakistanis and human beings, however much criticism over the protest over their killings. Strange, when this mindset will change?
no where in the world the way they do in Pakistan ....
The highest religion of life is earning "Halal Ki Roti" which we humans earn collectively in a community i.e. everyone is connected with everyone! Anyone, whosoever, jeopardises the basic spirit of social life, with such senseless dharnas, shutter down strikes, burning public property, load sheddings etc. etc. etc., is or are traitors.
I don't understand why Govt. make a law against political parties, so no one dare to give strike calls, especially for those who are sitting in UK.
Ibtidae' ishq hay rota hay kya.....
Agay agay dekhie hota hay kya.....
NQM in opposition and Karachi walooooooo, prepare yourself for many many mourning days a month.
some people have much obsession with MQM if some one gets killed it must be by MQM if MQM workers get killed then why are they mourning?
MQM's 1st STIKE after being FORCEFULLY SELECTED AGAIN.... Next 5 years STRIKES
MQM supposedly a party of Lower middle class could not understand that there are hundreds of thousands of Daily Wage workers in Karachi and by announcing strikes you are just giving poor laborers another day of Agony when they will be earning nothing and will go back to their homes empty handed.
First they killed thier disobedients than observe strike, clear cut message to Nawaz Shareed at Day 1 good stretegy.
The third generation losing lives.
Starting with pre-partition, people mainly in UP and Bihar suffered a huge loss of life and property in their struggle for making Pakistan which was supposed to be the ‘homeland for the muslims of the sub-continent’.
Then there was a period of respite, until the second generation was ready to sacrifice their lives. It started with their support to Mohtarrama Fatima Jinnah, when Karachi was turned into a battlefield after hordes descended upon Karachi with their tribal mindset. This was followed by linguistic riots (laysanee fasadaat).
In the then East Pakistan, there was carnage as punishment for supporting Pakistan Army and these people who went all out to support the federation were ruthlessly abandoned by the army and the government of Pakistan to a life of sub-human standards in the camps of Bangladesh.
In Karachi there was Bushra Zaidi incident. Karachi is the most unfortunate city where the transport system is in the hands of the least educated and most temperamental section of the society, hence the Bushra Zaidi case, which triggered a non-ending series of bloodshed of the third generation which continues to date.
May it be Qasba colonly incident, pakka qila or katee paharee, the mayhem continues of people who had maximum contribution in the creation of Pakistan.
Pakistan may represent a fragmented picture when it comes to issues of national nature, but there seem to be an outstanding convergence of opinion when the people of Karachi are concerned. The government agencies, the establishment, political leadership all had their share in inciting violence and killing innocent people of Karachi.
They should now offer some solution. If the people of Karachi despite their major contribution in the national economy are so unacceptable to the powerful, they should perhaps put them into camps but give them peace.
Please stop extra judicial killing innocent young men.
When will this stupid mourning days end every day 5 to 10 people die in Karachi closing it down is not the solution. when will they learn because millions of rupees are lost & millions people spent a day without food and money because Karachi is closed. but they dont care.
Thats what MQM is good for...successful strikes.......Karachi is at there mercy and they have destroyed it
While people in Karachi are being forced to observe mourning day, wondering what MQM leader in London would be doing right now!!!
DAY OF MOURNING? I think its better to say it STRIKE