HYDERABAD, May 22: The call for a strike given by the 10-party alliance to protest ‘large-scale rigging’ in the just-concluded election received mixed a response across the province on Wednesday. Jamshoro and Tando Allahyar were completely shut during the strike while a partial strike was observed in Hyderabad and Tando Muhammad Khan.

Most private and government educational institutions remained closed in Jamshoro and Tando Allahyar and public transport remained off the roads.

In Tando Muhammad Khan, although public response to the strike was not so overwhelming still most shopping centres and shops in the town’s Shahi bazaar, Ban bazaar, Pakistan chowk and other markets remained closed throughout the day and public transport remained off the roads.

The educational institutions and private sector offices also preferred to close business during the day.

The University of Sindh and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) had cancelled examinations for the day.

Qasimabad was completely shut while the rest of Hyderabad city remained open during the strike.

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Hyderabad did not cancel its ongoing annual examinations for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) part-II.

Meanwhile, activists of the Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) and the Sindhyani Tehreek took out a procession in protest against attack on QAT’s Mohabbat-i-Sindh rally in Karachi on May 22 last year in which 15 activists were killed. The leaders called for arrest of the killers.

KHAIRPUR: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Khairpur while a partial strike was observed in Kumb and other adjoining towns.

MUET Khairpur campus postponed its scheduled semester papers due to the strike.

Traffic was thin on the National Highway and its connecting roads and point buses of Shah Abdul Latif University and MUET did not ply which affected academic activities at the university.

No report of any untoward incident was received from any part of the district.

UMERKOT: A partial strike was observed in Umerkot town while there was no strike in Samaro, Pithoro, Kunri, Chhore, Khokhrapar, Dhoronaro and Ghulam Nabi Shah towns.

All bazzars and shopping centres in Umerkot town remained closed till midday and then reopened. There was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the district.

MIRPURKHAS: Scores of office-bearers and workers of QAT demonstrated outside the press club, demanding re-polling in constituencies where candidates of the 10-party alliance suffered defeat because of what they described as rigging.

The local leaders including Ghulam Mustafa Leghari and Mumtaz Khoso who led the protest also called for immediate arrest of the killers of Ghazala Batool Siddiqui and others who were shot dead on Mohabbat-i-Sindh rally in Karachi on May 22 last year.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: No strike was observed in Naushahro Feroze and a partial strike was observed in its adjoining towns of Moro and Bhiria road.

A large number of activists of QAT, SUP, STP and Sindh National Movement held a demonstration on the main road near National Press club in protest against large-scale rigging in elections.