City on lockdown: Karachi keeps shut to observe ‘black day’

Muttahida Qaumi Movement had appealed to traders to keep their businesses shut.


Our Correspondent October 26, 2014

KARACHI: Karachi bore the semblance of an almost deserted town on Sunday, courtesy of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) announcement to observe a 'black day' to protest the Pakistan Peoples Party leader Khursheed Shah's remarks regarding Muhajirs.

Although there was no major incident to disrupt the peace, fear and panic gripped the entire city, forcing shopkeepers and businesses to keep shut. While commercial activities are usually limited on Sundays, petrol pumps and CNG stations in different parts of the city were also closed for the observance of the 'black day'. Public transport was also very thin on the roads.

The situation developed minutes after MQM leader Abdul Haseeb held a press conference at the party's headquarters, Nine-Zero, on Saturday evening. Traders and shopkeepers hurriedly pulled down their shutters as the city braced for a lockdown. The party's chief, Altaf Hussain, also appealed to traders and transporters to keep their business shut and not to bring their vehicles on the roads to support the peaceful 'black day'.

Besides affecting routine and commercial activities, entry tests scheduled at University of Karachi and the Benazir Medical University, Lyari that had been scheduled for the day were also postponed.

Traders claimed that business activities will resume today (Monday). All Karachi Tajir Ittehad chairperson Atiq Mir told The Express Tribune that major markets are usually closed on Sundays but the protest affected the remaining 10 per cent of commercial activities. "Some markets remain open on Sundays but these commercial centres were also closed due to the protests," he observed.

Transporters also announced they will resume operations today (Monday). "We did not run our vehicles on the roads following MQM's appeal," the Karachi Transport Ittehad chairperson Irshad Bukhari told The Express Tribune. "Very few transporters brought their vehicles on the roads.

Law enforcers were placed on high alert across the city to avoid any untoward incidents. They had been directed to take strict action against suspects who were forcing businesses to shut down. "The overall situation in Karachi was good enough," Karachi police spokesperson inspector Atiq Shaikh told The Express Tribune. "Besides the MQM, ASWJ and nationalist party of the Sindh also held rallies in different parts of the city. They cooperated with us and did not take the law into their hands."

Partial strike in Hyderabad

Commercial areas and petrol pumps remained closed in some parts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar and Tando Allahyar districts on the MQM's mourning day call. The party's supporters hoisted black flags at important buildings and squares in the areas dominated by the MQM. The entry test for Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Lyari, scheduled in Hyderabad was also postponed.

Upper Sindh

The strike call failed to muster much support throughout Upper Sindh, except Sukkur, where a partial shutter down strike was observed. However, most of the markets reopened by afternoon.

Police mobiles patrolled the main roads and markets of the city to avert any untoward incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2014.

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