KARACHI, Feb 17: A complete strike was observed in the metropolis on Friday against the publication of blasphemous sketches by certain European newspapers. The strike brought the life across the city at a standstill as shops, markets, business concerns and educational institutions remained closed, while public transport remained off the road.

The call for the strike was given by the Pasban Pakistan and endorsed by various transport and trade organizations. A closed holiday for all educational institutions in Sindh was already announced by the government.

Although the strike appeared by and large peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence were reported from a few areas, where protesters burnt tyres and effigies of European leaders on roads and pelted stones at passing vehicles.

At Sohrab Goth, a law and order situation was created by an unruly mob which resorted to setting one Edhi ambulance on fire and damaging three other.

Law-enforcement agencies baton-charged the violent protesters and fired teargas shells to disperse the mob. About 60 protesters were arrested during the day-long violence in which many protesters and personnel of the law enforcement agencies were injured. Several dozen people were arrested at some other places where participants of protest rallies turned violent and, besides blocking roads with bonfire, attacked passing vehicles and shops with stones.

No private offices, main shopping centres, commercial areas and other business concerns opened on Friday while attendance in government offices remained thin. As transporters had joined in the strike, inter-city buses and goods transport means also remained off the road. The number of private vehicles plying in different parts of the city was negligible but rickshaws and taxis were seen transporting passengers in a big number, though lesser than in normal days.

Legal proceedings at the city courts remained suspended on Friday as the lawyers also observed the strike. The city courts premises gave a deserted look as no lawyers, litigants and paralegals turned up. Some judges and judicial magistrate, however, did arrive at the courts but left shortly afterwards. The jail authorities did not send any under-trial prisoner to the courts.

The situation at the Malir District Courts, Accountability Courts, Anti-narcotics Court, Special Anti-corruption Court and Anti-terrorism Courts was also not different.

All the big and small markets in the otherwise busy shopping areas, such as Saddar, Tariq Road, Bahadurabad and University Road and Malir, remained completely closed. No activity at the commodity lifeline, Boulton Market, was witnessed on Friday. The normal activity at the port also suffered due to the absence of majority of labourers.

Closure of many major medical stores in the city caused great inconvenience to those seeking medicines and other medical products for patients.

Almost all the petrol pumps remained closed and their owners had erected tents around the premises.

VIOLANCE: Giving details of the violence at Sohrab Goth and some other places in the city, a senior police officer said that the more than 50 people had been arrested for trying to block the highway and indulging in violence at Sohrab Goth.

He said several dozen members of the law-enforcement agencies suffered bruises and three vehicles, two belonging to the police and one to Rangers, were damaged during the violence. He said that those arrested would be booked under the Anti-terrorism Act.

The police officer said that the trouble started when protesters tried to block the Super Highway near Al-Asif Square and police tried to disperse them by applying baton-charge and firing teargas shells.

Traffic on Super Highway remained suspended throughout the day due to the disturbances.

Meanwhile, Rizwan Edhi of the Edhi Foundation told Dawn that one of its ambulances was set ablaze and another three were damaged by unknown people in the Sohrab Goth area.

In Liaquatabad, protesters blocked the main road connecting Gharibabad and Liaquatabad No 10, with burning tyres and other barricades. TPO Liaqatabad Asif Aijaz said that 10 people were detained but who would be released later.

Reports of some minor incidents of violence were received from North Nazimabad, Lea Market and Nagan Chowrangi.

At Banaras Chowk, where a big rally was held, protesters were baton-charged after they tried to cause damage to property and passing vehicles. Police fired teargas shells to disperse protesters and bring the situation under control.

JUP: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan on Friday accused the government of misusing powers and arresting JUP activists in various parts of country, adds PPI.

A meeting held here under chairmanship of Mufti Mohammad Jan Naimi sought release of JUP Punjab Chief Mufti Hidayatullah with other activists nabbed at various places.

It urged the Sindh Home Minister, Rauf Saddique, to absolve the activists apprehended in Karachi of false cases.

The meeting observed that police action against demonstrating youth was regrettable. “It is a deliberate attempt at provocation on part of the government on this serious matter of belief.

“Credit goes to participants of the rally who displayed unprecedented fraternity on eve of grand rally,” it noted.

PASBAN: The Pasban has thanked the people of the country, particularly Sindh and Karachi, for observing peaceful shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on its call on Friday against blasphemous cartoons published in the Western media.

It, however, condemned the “failed attempts” made by unscrupulous elements to fail the strike.

At a press conference, Pasban president Altaf Shakoor reiterated that the country’s youth would lay down their lives for the reverence of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and also announced support to the strike and protest rally called by the religious and political parties on March 3 and 5.