KARACHI, Sept 18: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawwar Hasan on Tuesday gave a call to observe a protest day throughout the country — and a shutterdown strike and a peaceful wheel jam in Karachi — on Wednesday against the murder of JI leader and former Nazim of Liaquatabad Town Dr Pervez Mehmood and release of the anti-Islam movie.

According to the JI, the shutter-down and wheel-jam strike is also in protest against activities of extortionists in the city.

The strike was announced by Karachi JI chief Muhammad Hussain Mehanti at an emergency press conference on Tuesday night at the Karachi Press Club. He was accompanied by leaders Nasrullah Shaji and Zahid Askari.

Mr Mehanti said the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Sunni Tehreek, Sindh United Party, Awami Tehreek and other religious and nationalists parties, besides traders representatives, backed the call.

He said Dr Pervez had been killed in an attempt to divert the attention of people from the blasphemy issue and the bomb blast in Hyderi was a bid to fail Wednesday’s strike.

He said no one was secure in the city because incidents of targeted killing and extortion continued.

He said that one more JI activist was killed on Tuesday. When people were returning peacefully after holding a protest at the CM House, someone in police uniform opened fire in front of the Governor’s House, killing Abdul Wahid on the spot.

The JI leader said the funeral prayer of Abdul Wahid would be offered on Wednesday at 11am at Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road. He appealed to people and transporters to observe a peaceful strike to restore peace and get rid of the menace of targeted killing and plunder.

Mr Mehanti said hundreds of JI workers and supporters had been killed in the past couple of years, but the party had always demonstrated peace and tolerance.

He demanded that the government arrest the killers of Dr Pervez and the person who had killed Abdul Wahid be brought to justice.

Mr Shaji said they had gone to lodge a protest against the PPP for making the city hostage to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the name of reconciliation.

Earlier, former city mayor Niamatullah Khan led funeral prayers of Dr Pervez Mehmood at the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam. Besides party leaders, workers and supporters, Najmi Alam of the PPP, Saleem Zia of the PML-N, Amir Nawab of the ANP and senior labour leader Haibuddin Junedi attended the funeral.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh chapter leader of JI Asadullah Bhutto said the MQM and Altaf Hussain could never capture Karachi at gunpoint.

Paying tribute, he said Dr Pervez Mehmood was a courageous leader who always spoke the truth and highlighted the excesses committed by the MQM.

Holding the present government responsible for bloodshed and torture in the city, he said the so-called reconciliation policy of the PPP was responsible for unabated incidents of violence and killing in the city.

He demanded that arrest of the killers of Dr Pervez within three hours and dismissal of the governor forthwith.

Niamatullah Khan said Pervez Mehmood was an asset of the JI. He said the MQM killed not only peaceful people, but also its own leaders and activists. He held it responsible for killing 300 people in Baldia Town.

After brief speeches, the funeral procession moved towards the CM House where they held a sit-in and dispersed.