07 February 2004	Saturday	15 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 6: The members of Sindh Assembly belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement have strongly condemned the incidents of firing and arson in Karachi allegedly committed by activists of Jamaat-i-Islami on Friday on the strike call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to protest against debriefing of nuclear scientists.

In a press statement, the MPAs appealed to President Musharraf, Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Ali Mahar to take legal action against the persons responsible for violent incidents as an attempt to the success of the strike of the religious alliance.

They alleged that the JI was destroying peace of the city by violent protests. They alleged that the JI activists harassed public and damaged private properties of citizens during the strike. They said some nazims and councilors belonging to the religious party extended free hand to their activists to harass public.

However, the MPAs calimed that traffic and business activities remained normal on Friday, as people did not show any interest in the strike.

They said, "Jamat-i-Islami wants to earn political gains by observing so-called strikes and violent protests so that it could get financial benefits by making a deal with government on the issue of Dr Qadeer Khan just like it did on Legal Framework Order."

Meanwhile, the adviser to chief minister on information and archives, Salahuddin Haider, said that the strike was rejected by the people of Karachi and Sindh.

He said that business and commercial activity remained normal and offices, banks, multinationals functioned without any interruption.

"In some areas, however, commercial activity was forcibly stopped. Shopkeepers turning up to start business in the morning were coerced into submission by the MMA activists and had to pull their shutters down," he said. -PPI/APP