A Hyderabad market shut on October 30 on account of a strike called by the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz. PHOTO: SHAHID ALI/EXPRESS
Several incidents of aerial shots, cracker attacks, blockage of roads and highways, attacks on shops and restaurants forced shopkeepers to close their businesses. The day of the strike was preceded by a night of violence as over three dozen cracker attacks and several firing incidents were reported from across the province. A man was killed and nine people suffered injuries.
The strike was called to protest against the recently promulgated Protection of Pakistan Ordinance. Supporters of the party took out rallies in all districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, demanding abrogation of the ordinance. The JSMM claims that the ordinance will snatch the rights of the nationalists.
During the strike, two men suffered minor injuries in a firing attack on a passenger bus on Autobahn Road, Hyderabad. A branch of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), shops in Abdullah Centre and a truck in Wahdat Colony in Qasimabad taluka were also attacked. In Jamshoro district, crackers were hurled outside the hostel of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.
A branch of the NBP was attacked with crackers in the Benazirabad district. A shop in the district’s Qazi Ahmed town was attacked with a petrol bomb, causing injuries to a man.
On Sakrand Road, miscreants pelted stones on passing vehicles and a cracker was hurled near a NBP branch. Two persons were also injured after armed men attacked a restaurant in Bhit Shah in Matiari district.
Hyderabad SSP Fida Hussain Mastoi said the police have arrested 12 suspects from different parts of the city during overnight raids. Mastoi said that FIRs would be registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act against suspects involved in the four cracker attacks in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening which left one man dead and caused injuries to two policemen.
A shop in Matiari’s New Saeedabad town was also attacked with a cracker.
Partial observance
The strike call given by the JSMM failed to muster support in many towns and cities of upper Sindh.
A shutter-down strike was observed in some parts, including Guddu, Kandhkot, Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Khairpur, Larkana, Padidan, Mehrabpur, Moro, Kandhiyaro, Darya Khan Mari, Mithiyani, Bhiriya Road and Qamber.
A complete shutter-down strike but peaceful strike was observed in Ghotki. On Tuesday night, Ghotki police raided Jindoo Ghoto village and arrested the district president of the JSMM, Sahib Khan Ghoto. Earlier, Ghoto had been granted bail by an Anti-Terrorism Court after he was accused of planting bombs on railway tracks in the district. A shutter-down strike was also observed in Mirpur Mathelo in the morning, but all the shops started opening after 11am. Mirpur Mathelo police have arrested Lal Bux Kalwar, father of a JSMM leader, Yousuf Kalwar. No strike was observed in Kashmore, Jacobabad, Thull, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Rohri, Pano Akil, Daharki and Ubauro.
A strike was also observed in Guddu and Kandhkot. Following cracker blasts on Tuesday night, a partial strike was observed in Khaipur district. Hingorja police have registered a case against JSMM workers, including Sanaullah, but no arrests were made. In Larkana, a partial strike was observed but the markets started opening after noon.
No strike was observed in Naushero Feroze, but a complete shutter-down was observed in some parts of the district, including Padidan, Mehrabpur, Moro, Kandiyaro, Darya Khan Mari, Mithiyani and Bhirya Road.
In Padidan, a railway track was saved from damage after a bomb disposal squad defused a bomb weighing half a kilogramme. A shutter-down strike was also observed in Qamber-Shahdadkot. Meanwhile, some men hurled two crackers in Warah, but no loss was reported. Warah police have arrested two suspects on suspicion.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ