KARACHI, Dec 15: Attendance at educational institutes remained very low on Friday due to the strike called by the Pakhtoon Action Committee against police highhandedness, extortion and demolition of kutchi abadis housing Pakhtoons.
The University of Karachi and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology postponed their exams scheduled for Friday after a remarkably low number of students and teachers turned up due to the strike. In the absence of public transport on roads, which is only mean of reaching educational institutes for vast majority of students, attendance in most of the schools, colleges and varsities remained thin.
Officials of private varsities including Hamdard University, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Baqai, and some public and private medical colleges also reported thin attendance of students at their campuses.
Same was the situation at the schools and colleges, as vans could not pick students from their residence in most of the localities in view of the strike.
WARNING: Sindh Industries, Labour and Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui claimed that the strike call on transporters’ issue was totally unjustified and warned that the government would deal strictly with those creating law and order situation. The minister visited Sohrab Goth and other areas and said the government would never allow anyone to sabotage peaceful environment at any cost.—PPI
Protest rallies and demos were staged in SITE, Baldia and Orangi towns and shopkeepers were not allowed transport vegetables and fruits, our reporter adds.
At some places, the vehicles transporting vegetables and fruits to local markets were stopped and unloaded.
A mob clashed with the local shopkeepers in the bazaar of Raees Amrohvi Colony and forced them to close down their business. A number of people were injured in clashes of similar nature in Mohammad Khan Colony, Raja Tanveer Colony, Ittehad Town, Saeedabad. A constable of the Mauch police station was also beaten up at Eidgah Mor. The situation normalised when area notables intervened.
