HYDERABAD, Oct 19: A pall of gloom hung over Sindh on Friday following the attack on PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto’s caravan in Karachi which resulted in deaths of at leat 140 innocent people.

On the call of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, black day was observed and protest demonstrations were held across Sindh to condemn the attack.

Shutter down strike was observed in all the major cities and towns of the province and the PPP activists burnt tyres on the roads. They also held the Quran Khwani and Fateha Khwani for the victims of the blast. The remains of some of the victims were brought to their native places in Sindh interior and laid to rest.

In Hyderabad, Quran Khwani was held at Bhurgari house. The party activists wore black armbands and hoisted black flags on their houses’ rooftops. A large number of party activists led by the district president and MPA Zahid Ali Bhurgari staged protest demonstration outside the press club.

They said the anti-state and anti-democracy forces could not digest the unprecedented welcome accorded to Benazir Bhutto and therefore they resorted to the abominable act of terrorism. They demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the gruesome act.

The PPP activists also staged demonstrations and burnt tyres in Talab No. 3, Hussainabad, Naseem Nagar chowk Qasimabad and Hala Naka.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad District Bar Association and High Court Bar Association held a joint general body meeting.

They held the federal and Sindh governments responsible for the attack.

In Larkana district, shutter down strike was observed in Naudero and Quran Khwani was held at the Naudero house of Ms Benazir Bhutto.

The activists of Sindh People’s Students’ Federation took out a procession and burnt tyres at Jinnahbagh gate. They chanted slogans against Sindh chief minister and the MQM’s leadership.

The district bar association terming the incident uncalled for announced boycotting the courts on Saturday.

In Nawabshah the PPP activists offered Ghaibana Nimaz-i-Janaza for the victims of the blasts and took out a rally.

Hundreds of activists attended the Ghaibana Nimaz-e-Janaza.

Later, the activists took out a rally which ended at press club. The protesters were carrying party flags and raising slogans against the chief minister, and the provincial police officer.

Nawabshah wore deserted look. On Friday, the shops, usually open during the first half of the day, remained closed. Similarly, business activities remained suspended in Sakrand, Daur, Bandhi and other adjoining towns.

Family members and relatives of deceased Abdul Wahab namely Mohammad Siddiq Bhatti, Shahid Bhatti and others held a demonstration at Taj Colony Phatak and staged protest.

In Dadu, the PPP workers took out a rally led by Adam Khan Solangi and Abdul Karim Mallah which marched from the residence of the PPP leader, Pir Mazharul Haq, to the press club. They carried banners and raised slogans against Sindh government.

Shutter down strike was observed in Sehwan, Kotri and Jamshoro towns. PPP workers also held protests in Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi towns.

The lawyers also boycotted court proceedings in the district.

In Mirpurkhas district, shops remained closed in different cities and towns to mourn the death of innocent people.

A protest rally was taken out by the PPP activists in Kot Ghulam Mohammed town led by Teekamdas which passed through the main roads and bazaars. The protesters were holding banners and placards and demanding arrest of the culprits involved in the blasts.Another protest rally was taken out by the PPP in Digri town led by taluka Digri president Abdul Hameed Baloch.

Protesters carried banners and placards, wore black armbands and burnt tyres on Digri-Tando Jan Mohammad road as a result the traffic was suspended for about half an hour.

The protesters marched on different roads and reached at the Mohammadi chowk where a local PPP leader, Abdul Hameed Baloch, demanded of the government to ensure the arrest of the terrorists.

The PPP office-bearers and workers observed black day in Mirpurkhas and Umerkot here on Friday as they hoisted black flags at PPP city office at old Musafirkhana Mirpurkhas and wore black armband while they offered Fateha Khawani.

PPP workers and office-bearers hoisted black flags at different places including PPP party office in Umerkot and wore black armband and offered Fateha Khawani.

In Khairpur, the mourning day was observed with solemnity.

Trade centres including Mall Road, Civic centre chowk, Nim Morr, Station road and others remained closed whereas private and government schools observed holiday.

Majority of people whose relatives and friends had gone to welcome the caravan were concerned and were watching news channels to get information about their loved ones.

According to reports received here a mourning situation also prevailed in Sukkur, Ghotki, Ubauro, Daharki and other parts of upper Sindh.

In Sanghar a complete strike was observed in Khipro, Maqsoodo Rind, Sarhari and Lundo towns.

The PPP activists blocked Landhi-Shahdadpur road for more than two hours.

A rally was taken out in Tando Adam which started from Latif gate and reached the press club after marching on main roads. Traffic also remained thin in the town and a very small number of coaches left for Karachi. However, life in the district headquarters town Sanghar remained as usual.

In Naushahro Feroze a partial strike was observed while complete shutter down strike was observed in Padidan town. Shopkeepers in Khan Wahan observed shutter down strike for two hours.

The PPP activists wearing black armbands led by Dur Mohammad Sehto, Dodo Soomro staged demonstrations.

A large number of PPP activists in Moro took out rally.

In Padidan, complete shutter down strike was observed. They announced strike on Saturday.

In Thatta the PPP activists staged demonstrations in different towns of the district.

In Makli, Gharo, Mirpur Sakro, Mirpur Bathoro, Bannu and Jhoke Sharif, party activists holding party flags, wearing black armbands marched on streets.

The activists burnt tyres in Thatta and Fateha was offered for the departed souls.

However, no untoward incident was reported from any party of the district.

In Shikarpur the PPP activists took out rallies. The protesters led by city president Pir Mohammad Sanjrani and Barkat Ali Bhutto blocked roads to record their protest.

They demanded high-level probe into the matter and death sentence to the culprits.

They alleged that the incident took place due to poor security arrangements by the Sindh government.

Ghous Bux Mahar, MNA Dr Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi, MPA Mir Abid Hussain Jatoi, MPA Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Junaid Ahmed Soomro, zila nazim Mohammad Arif Mahar, PML-N district president Malik Hadi Bux, JUI leader Maulana Moulvi Bakhtullah Pahore have condemned the incident and expressed their condolence with the victim families.

In Badin the PPP observed black day and hoisted black flags at main buildings.

Badin, Kadhan, Tando Bago and other towns remained closed due to Friday.

District party leadership had not returned from Karachi while the workers who had gone to join the welcome caravan had returned late night.

The lawyers boycotted court proceedings in protest.