KARACHI, April 2: The governor and the chief minister of Sindh on Saturday said the MMA’s strike call had totally failed, as people of the province had rejected it by carrying on with their daily life activities as usual.
The Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, and the Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, made these comments while talking to people, who had gathered around them during their visits to various parts of the city on Saturday.
The Provincial Home Minister, Rauf Siddiqui, and Adviser on Information Salahuddin Haider accompanied the governor and chief minister.
They first drove to the Regal Chowk, Electronics Market, and Empress Market in Saddar, and then to the Tariq Road.
Speaking to people, Governor Ibad said the opposition, including the MMA, was trying to impede the development process, but the failure of the strike had proved that people had rejected these parties.
“The MMA has turned out to be a victim of confusion”, he said while talking to people at the Regal Chowk in Saddar.
He said citizens, especially the business community, had expressed confidence over the government by keeping open their business, as it – the government – had made ample security arrangements for them. “The traders at Tariq Road were given threats of dire consequences, but even then they rejected the strike call,” the governor added.
Mr Ibad said the police had arrested 160 persons for subversive activities in the city; however, he added that it should not be construed as a ‘crackdown’ on the MMA.
The Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, on the occasion informed accompanying journalists that some 170 mischievous elements, including some MMA leaders, were arrested from all over Sindh.
The governor said whosoever commits mischief and stops poor people from earning their livelihood would be arrested and brought before the law.
“We arrested only those involved in subversive activities,” adding that such elements would be dealt with an iron hand.
Later, talking to newsmen at the Governor’s House, he said, “The strike has failed and complete peace with normal daily life activities prevails in the city. There is no report of any loss to life and property of citizens.”
He said almost all businessmen at the Regal Chowk in Saddar had kept their shops open, which was testimony to the fact that people had totally rejected the MMA’s strike call.
The governor said people did not want any disruption in the movement of the economy’s wheel and country’s development, adding that despite threats, businessmen showed great courage and continued with their business for which they deserve tributes.
He informed that people were
threatened at the Tariq Road against opening their shops. On receiving such reports, he himself rushed there and assured the shopkeepers of safety and cooperation, Ibad added.
He said that people had turned the MMA’s strike into failure while the government had thwarted their plans of sabotage and subversion resulting in no loss to life and property.
“The people are of the opinion that the government’s policies are correct and it is taking good steps for the prosperity of people and development of the country.”
To a question, Dr Ishratul Ibad said the MMA had no issue but confusions, adding they suffered setbacks in whatever issues they had raised during the last two and a half years.
He pointed out that maintenance of law and order was the basic requirement to achieve anything positive. He said the law and order in the city was under control.
Speaking about the price hike, the governor referred to the setting up of committees for setting right the market mechanism. He said these committees would formulate their recommendations after consideration to help relieve the common man from the pressure of price hike besides creating job opportunities.
To a question about less traffic flow on roads on Saturday, Ibad cited the first one-day match between Pakistan and India as one reason.
He said the government was monitoring the situation throughout Sindh and it had received a good response from cities and interior of the province.
He invited the opposition to join hands with the government for upholding positive values for the development and prosperity of the country and its citizens.
The Chief Minister, Ghulam Arbab Rahim, on this occasion said that people of interior Sindh had also rejected the strike call. According to him, the MMA did not enjoy any mass support in interior Sindh.
