15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, May 14: The strike call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) for Friday drew a positive response as major markets, bazaars, business centres and shops remained closed.

The MMA had given call for strike against the killing of its workers during Wednesday's by-elections.

Commercial areas wore a deserted look and public transport remained almost off the road while private transport was thin.

Business activities at commercial centres, including Saddar, Empress Market and Abdullah Haroon Road, Zaibunnissa Street, etc., remained suspended and streets of Bohri Bazaar presented a deserted look throughout the day.

There was no trading activity at the commodity market in Jodia Bazaar and Boulton Market, Khori Garden, Kharadar and Mithadar areas.

Shops and markets in other areas, like Tariq Road, Azizabad, Jauharabad, Gulberg, Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal, did not open in the morning, though some shops in different localities were opened in the evening.

Sporadic incidents of firing were also reported in various areas. At least three people suffered bullet wounds when they were fired upon by unidentified persons.

Some persons shot at a contract bus near Kalapul in Defence Housing Authority police limits and fled. As a result, one Mushtaq suffered wounds.

Kamran, an 11-year-old boy, suffered bullet injuries on Jehangir Road when some people opened fire on him. Gulfam, 60, was shot at in Landhi.

Miscreants stopped a route 7-C bus near People's Colony and set it on fire. Two more vehicles were set on fire by miscreants.

Reports were also received that unidentified persons pelted moving vehicles with stones. Such incidents were reported at Lasbella, Patel Para, Jehangir Road, Korangi Road and other areas. besides dozens of vehicles were partially damaged after they came under attack by miscreants who pelted them with stones.

At least three persons were injured when miscreants pelted vehicles with stones.

Another report of violence was received from MMA-dominated area at Banaras Chowk where some people erected barricades to block roads and burnt old tyres. They marched towards Pirabad police station and pelted it with stones.

As police reinforcement was called, a clash between the police and protesters took place. The police resorted to teargas shelling and lathi-charge to disperse the crowed.

Police picked up 15 people at Banaras Chowk for burning tyres, pelting vehicles with stoning, blocking roads and resorting to violence.

DIG (Operations) Tariq Jamil told Dawn on Friday that "overall law and order situation remained under control. Some people took law into their hands near Pirabad police station."

"We have picked up 15 people for their alleged involvement in violence and brought the situation under control."

The Karachi Transport Ittehad claimed that miscreants torched two buses - one of route 7-C at People's Colony roundabout, and the other of route 4-H in New Karachi. KTI's Irshad Bokhari had announced that the KTI would be impartial in the strike. He said that KTI left the issue with the individual transport operators whether or not to join the strike.

Most of the public transport vehicles remained off road and people faced hardships in reaching their places of work. Newly-introduced large buses, including Green Bus, also disappeared.

A number of buses plied full to capacity and commuters travelled on roofs of buses.

Many people were forced to go back to their homes in the absence of transport and attendance in public and private organizations also remained thin.

Similarly, a thin number of private transport vehicles was seen plying on roads. Students appearing in their examinations suffered owing to non-availability of public transport in the morning in various areas. Some of them had to reach their examination centres on taxis or rickshaws who charged exorbitant fares.

The paramedical staff and doctors also could not reach their hospitals due to non-availability of transport.

At Spencer Eye Hospital, the paramedic staff could not reach and surgical operations were delayed. The area around the hospital remained totally closed and no patient visited the OPD.

The strike adversely affected the number of patients visiting the outpatient departments of Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the two major hospitals of the city.

The attendance of paramedics at these hospitals was also on the lower side.