HYDERABAD, Sept 9: A call for general strike given by the combined opposition against price-hike, rigging in the local body polls and for restoration of democracy was largely ignored in most of the interior Sindh on Friday.
No incident of violence or burning of vehicle has been reported from any part of the province.
However, two PPP leaders were arrested in the Dadu district for attempting to bring out a procession.
There was no strike in newly-created districts of Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and Jamshoro.
In Hyderabad, the strike remained ineffective as shops and business centres remained closed due to Friday prayers.
There was thin traffic plying on the city roads.
Transporters said there were no passengers from the interior of Sindh. Buses left for Karachi from the general bus stand in relatively small number.
No buses arrived till the Friday prayers from Karachi at the general bus stand.
“We have operated around six to seven buses today as there were no passengers. In normal days we operate double the number”, a transport owner told Dawn.
Traffic on the National Highway was also thin.
There was business as usual in the city’s main markets including Bohri Bazaar, Gharib Nawaz Bridge — dominated by Pakhtun community — Latifabad-7 and 8, the Cloth Market, Liberty Chowk, Market Tower, Shahi Bazaar and Hirabad.
Matiari’s Hala taluka — the home town of ARD chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim — witnessed a complete strike while a partial strike was reported in New Saeedabad taluka.
LARKANA: Responding to the joint call of the MMA and the ARD a complete strike was observed in Qambar town on Friday whereas in Larkana only two main trade centres remained shut amid heavy contingent of police deployed at different places.
PPP leaders Punhal Soomro, Irshad Lakho and others led the protest procession that marched on roads and assembled outside the PPP office.
They criticized government for rigging local body polls, failing in controlling price spiral and ever swelling up prices of oil, gas and electricity.
The protestors burnt tyres at various chowks while police did not interfere.
The life returned to normalcy after 1 pm in Qambar. In Larkana only Resham Gali and Shahi Bazaar remained closed.
The routine life including traffic remained undisturbed.
Ayaz Soomro, president PPP Larkana district said that two PPP workers, whose names declined to disclose, were arrested.
SUKKUR: A partial strike was observed in Sukkur as the main business centres including Shahi Bazaar, Frere Road, Cloth Market, March Bazaar and others remained close on Fridays.
Some other areas Gharibabad and others often remain open on Fridays but today due to the strike call of the opposition mixed reaction was observed.
Less traffic plied on the roads.
Police force was put to alert to avert any untoward incident.
THATTA: The strike call was fizzled out in the district whereas Sujawal taluka remained completely closed.
In Mirpur Bathoro, Mirpur Sakro, Thatta, Jati and Shah Bundar talukas, people closed their business for few hours.
Vehicular traffic remained thin on the highways and so was attendance in offices and schools.
SHIKARPUR: There was no response to the strike call here as all business and trade centres remained opened as usual and flow of traffic was also normal throughout the day.
KHAIRPUR: The strike call proved to be failure in the district where the main business centres like Shahi Bazaar, fruit market, vegetable market and other areas remained opened.
Traffic on roads remained normal.
SANGHAR: People did not respond to the strike call of opposition parties in the district.
All shops and markets in Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Sinjhoro, Khipro and district headquarters including vegetable markets had normal business.
DADU: Activists of the PPP took out a procession in Khairpur Nathan Shah and marched from Noor hotel to local press club.
Police arrested PPP taluka president Noor Mohammad Chandio and PPP city president Qurban Qureshi.
The partial strike was observed in Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi towns.
No strike was observed in Mehar, Dadu, Bhan Syedabad, Sehwan and Sann towns.
NAWABSHAH: The strike call in Nawabshah remained ineffective as Friday is not a working day here.
Most of the shops in Liaquat market, Sarafa Bazaar, cloth market, Kutchehry and Masjid roads remained closed as usual.
Shops in the Chakra Bazaar, Essarpura, Qazi Ahmed Morr, Manuabad, Lal building and Sakrand and hospital roads remained open.
JACOBABAD: Jacobabad remained completely closed in response to the call on Friday.
A protest procession was taken out by opposition parties’ workers from the Shikarpur road.
PPP’s Abdul Sattar, JI’s Imdadullah Bijarani, Hafiz Mir Mohammad of JUI, Ayaz Lahoti of PML-N and others condemned recent surge in prices of oil, utilities and consumer goods and demanded that price-hike should be controlled.
They rejected the local body elections.
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: No strike was observed on call of opposition parties.
Traffic on roads remained normal.
Some shops remained closed in the Shahi Bazaar for about one and a half hour and in Padidan for about three hours.
Tyres were burnt on the Padidan-Naushahro Feroze road.
Annual examinations of BA and MA part-I were postponed by Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur due to strike.
MIRPURKHAS: No response was given to strike call where markets, business centres and bazaars remained opened.
Traffic was normal on the Mirpurkhas-Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas-Sanghar, Mirpurkhas-Umerkot and Mirpurkhas-Mithi routes.
A member of the PPP Sindh council and his son were seriously injured in an attack while they were sitting at Sarwari fertilizer shop on Mirpurkhas road on Thursday.
Ali Murad Rajar, a member of the PPP Sindh council and his son, Raza Muhammad Rajar were present at their shop when unknown armed persons with sticks and axes attacked them, causing injuries to them.
The assailants fled.
UMERKOT: Reports received from Umerkot said that strike call got no response as all markets and business centres remained opened.
BADIN: A partial strike was observed in Badin and other towns of the district.
Many shopkeepers were seen sitting outside their shops in morning and after 2-3 hours, they started opening their business.
Traffic remained normal on different routes including Hyderabad, Karachi, Mithi, Kadhan, Nindo Shehar, Tando Bago and other towns.
MITHI: No response was given to the strike call given by opposition parties as all activities of life remained as usual on Friday in Mithi and other towns.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.