May 10, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1427

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HYDERABAD, May 9: A complete strike was observed in most districts of interior Sindh on Tuesday against the construction of Bhasha dam and demolition of Sindhi villages in Karachi. However, response was mixed in Hyderabad, Thatta, Naushahro Feroze and Nawabshah and Sukkur districts to the strike call given by the Sindh Qaumi Ittehad (SQI). No strike was observed in Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts.

In some towns, police rounded up activists of the SQI on the charge of stone-pelting and forcing shopkeepers to pull shutters down. They were freed later.

In Hyderabad district, there was no sign of strike in the city and Latifabad talukas, but the Qasimabad and Hyderabad rural talukas remained closed.

Shops and business centres in the city and Latifabad were opened and vehicular traffic was normal.

However, the Sindh and Mehran universities Jamshoro remained closed. Vehicular traffic to interior towns was thin.

LARKANA: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.

Main trade centres, petrol pumps and small shops were closed.

Activists of the SQI pelted transport coaches and auto rickshaws with stones and damaged theirs glasses.

Police remained alert to avert any untoward situation.

Larkana JSQM leader Athar Soomro said that police had detained some workers.

Sindh National Front media cell’s in-charge Ibrahim Abro said that their workers were arrested by police.

A firecracker was thrown near the UBL branch in Ratodero but no damages were reported.

Hairdresser Papoo Noonari was injured in Ratodero when he refused to close in shop.

SQI chairman Mumtaz Ali Bhutto termed the strike a success and thanked the people of Sindh for tremendous response.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that it was a demonstration of what he called ‘unstained’ and ‘unreserved’ support of Sindhis who rejected all anti-Sindh projects.

He said that if the support continued no one could dare to rob away Sindh’s rights.

He said that a particular portion of Karachi’s population recently celebrated Jashn-i-Latif but ignored the call of protecting rights of Sindh.

Without naming the MQM, Mr Bhutto said that it looked unnatural that they were avoiding being part of the struggle for safeguarding Sindh’s resources.

TANDO MOHAMMAD KHAN: Shops and business houses in the district remained closed.

Police arrested several SQI workers for disrupting traffic. Later, they were released under pressure from the protesters.

TANDO ALLAHYAR: Most of the shops here remained closed.

Police are reported to have registered a case against some SQI activists for forcing shopkeepers to pull down their shutters and for burning tyres on the road.

MATIARI: Reports from the Matiari district said that a complete strike was observed in Matiari, Hala and Oderolal towns.

SANGHAR: There was no response to the strike call of the SQI in Sanghar.

Similarly, in Tando Adam, Shahdadpur, Khipro and Jam Nawaz Ali, the call failed to attract people and business activities remained normal.

THATTA: The province-wide strike call of the SQI received a partial response in Thatta district.

For the first time in Thatta town, no shopkeeper closed his business. Transport also kept plying on roads.

In Mirpur Bathoro town, business activities remained suspended. Traffic was thin on the Hyderabad-Sujawal highway.

A similar situation was witnessed in Daro, Laiqpur, Bannu and Jati towns while partial strike was observed in Chuhar Jamali, Mirpur Sakro, Gharo and Ghorabari towns.

KHAIRPUR: A complete strike was observed in the district.

Stone-pelting incidents were reported from Panj Gulla during the strike. Some four people, including a journalist, Shaheen Goraya, received injuries when windowpanes of a hotel were smashed.

A strike was also observed in Thari Mirwah, Pakka Chang, Sobhodero, Gambat and other main towns of the district.

JACOBABAD: Shops, markets and trade centres remained closed in Jacobabad and Kashmore districts to observe the strike.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: A shutter-down strike was observed in Moro and Tharushah.

BADIN: A complete strike was observed in the town. Business activities remained suspended in Badin, Khorwah, Golarchi, Talhar, Nindo, Kadhan and other towns.

A partial strike was observed in Tando Bago and Matli.

Meanwhile, attendance in government offices remained thin.

DADU: A shutter-down strike was observed in Dadu, Johi, Sehwan, Bhan Syedabad, Sann, Jamshoro, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Phulji and Khudabad towns.