KARACHI, May 26: All opposition parties have endorsed the strike call given by the Ahl-i-Sunnat Rahber Committee, headed by Mufti Muneebur Rehman, for Saturday.

The committee has given the call to protest against the government’s failure in arresting those involved in the April 11 bomb blast, which had left more than 60 people dead and over 100 more injured at Nishtar Park. Among the dead were top Sunni Tehrik leaders and other eminent religious figures leading the main congregation held in the city on the occasion of the Eid Miladun Nabi.

The parties having endorsed the strike call included the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, Sunni Tehrik, Tehrik-i-Insaaf, Anjuman Naujawanan-i-Islam, etc.

The National Transport Ittehad, Karachi, led by Salim Khan Bangash, has also supported the strike call, and appealed to all public transport operators to keep their vehicles -- buses, minibuses, coaches, rickshaws and taxis -- off the road on Saturday.

Besides, the all-parties conference convened by PPP and participated by more than two dozen parties and groups has already extended its support to the strike call.

On Friday, Mufti Muneebur Rehman appealed to all traders, businessmen, labour unions, transporters and general public to make the strike a success and join in the protest voluntarily by keeping their businesses closed.

He also urged the managements of all educational institutions to observe the strike, and called upon the education boards to postpone any paper that might be scheduled for Saturday.

Earlier, the committee had given an ultimatum to the government setting a deadline of May 20 for arresting the blast culprits, making the findings of the blast investigations public, registering a case against the nominated accused under the Anti-terrorism Act and holding their trial in speedy trial courts.

Meanwhile, on the committee’s appeal, a day of protest was observed in the city on Friday. Demonstrations were held in different areas after Juma prayers to condemn the government for failing to arrest any of those involved in the blast even 40 days now after it was carried out.

The MMA, Karachi chapter, held a meeting here on Friday with Maulana Khan Mohammad Rabbani in the chair. It expressed concern over the government’s failure in arresting the blast culprits. It also reaffirmed its support to the strike call, and alleged that the government’s indifferent attitude towards the demand for the terrorists’ arrest showed that it was patronising the terrorists.