HYDERABAD, Jan 28: Businesses remained shut and public vehicles off the road across Sindh on Saturday in protest against the tabling of the 20th amendment bill in the National Assembly by Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the refusal by Sindh Assembly speaker to allow about 50 MPAs to table a resolution against the MQM move.

The strike call was given by the Save Sindh Committee, an alliance of nationalist parties headed by Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah.

The committee considers the bill to be a prelude to the division of Sindh, even though it does not mention the province but speaks of carving out new provinces elsewhere in the country.

Complete strike was observed in Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Dadu, Badin, Thatta, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kandhkot, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze. However, no strike was observed in Sanghar and Khanpur Mahar.

Only motorcycles and private vehicles could be seen on the roads in the cities and towns where the strike was observed. The activists and supporters of nationalist parties took out processions and held demonstrations in protest against the constitution amendment bill.

In some cities and towns, the protesters pelted vehicles with stones and resorted to firing in the air.

The protesters damaged posters of MQM chief Altaf Hussain and tore flags of the party in Sukkur. A mob carrying sticks marched on different roads and forced shops to close.

A school bus was set on fire and many vehicles were pelted with stones.

Some people fired in the air near the MQM’s office in Jacobabad.

According to Awami Tehrik (AT), a number of its activists were rounded up by police.

In Hyderabad, the activists and supporters of the AT, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand
Party and Sindh National Front held demonstrations. Except for some areas of Latifabad taluka, a complete strike was observed in the city.

The AT activists held a demonstration at Hyder Chowk. Some harsh words were exchanged between police and AT activists.

At a press conference later, the senior vice-president of the party, Abdul Qadir Ranto, alleged that 711 activists had been arrested during the strike. Two protesters were injured in a scuffle when they were forcing the owner of a teashop to close his business in Khipro.

Some people hurled crackers at shops and fired in the air in different areas of Dadu. In Thatta, protesters threw stones at a petrol pump, offices of an NGO and vehicles.