04 June 2004	Friday	15 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 3: Police have been put on high-alert as they are deployed on Thursday night across the city in view of the strike call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for Friday (today) against the target killing of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai.

Extending tacit support to the MMA's call, the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the Pakistan People's Party have also asked the citizens to observe a protest day on Friday against the killing of the Mufti and other incidents of terrorism in the city.

The ARD's Sindh chapter on Thursday endorsed the PPP's call for observing "day of mourning" on Friday in connection with the killings, including that of Mufti Nizammudin Shamzai.

City Police Chief Tariq Jamil said: "We have beefed up the security arrangements and will provide protection to those who will be willing to open their business."

He said that the leaves of police officials had been cancelled and they were directed to remain on duty, adding that all DSPs and SHOs were also directed to remain in their respective areas and keep an eye on miscreants.

The Ulema Council in a press release appealed to the people to observe a peaceful strike and make it successful. It asked the people to remain peaceful and refrain from damaging private and public property.

It demanded of the government to arrest the killers of Mufti Shamzai and punish them. In a press release issued by the MMA, its leaders, Asadullah Bhutto, Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Allama Hasan Turabi, Qari Usman and others appealed to the people to make the strike successful to condemn the killing of Mufti Shamzai, bomb explosions and loss of lives in terrorism incidents in Imabargahs and mosques.

They said that the strike call would be tantamount to referendum and it was the duty of every citizen to make the strike successful. They said that the organized incidents of terrorism were aimed at inciting sectarian clashes and destablizing peace in the city and the country, adding that the people should realize the conspiracy and remain united.

The National Transport Ittehad announced to support the strike and asked its allied bodies to keep their vehicles off the city roads on Friday. However, the major transporter group, Karachi Transport Ittehad, announced to remain impartial and leave the issue with individual transport operators.

Meanwhile, the members of the All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industry, besides other traders' organizations of the city have announced to participate in the strike, adds PPI.

The traders' bodies, in a press release said that Sindh government had totally failed to establish peace in the province, while the rulers were consistently proclaiming that the situation was normal.

If the government failed to provide security to the people of Karachi, we would launch a civil disobedience movement and would not pay taxes, they warned in the press release.