May 14, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1428

LAHORE, May 13: Anjuman-i-Tajran Pakistan chairman Haji Maqsood Butt, regarded as pro-government, on Sunday held the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) responsible for the bloodshed in Karachi and announced observing a countrywide strike on Monday (today) to condemn it.

Speaking at a news conference at the Lahore Press Club, Mr Butt, accompanied by Anjuman-i-Tajran Lahore President Ashraf Bhatti, Chairman Mehboob Ali Sirki and office-bearers of almost all the main markets in Lahore, said they would observe the strike to show solidarity with those allegedly killed by the MQM in Karachi on Saturday.

Mr Butt said the traders’ organisation was not forced to observe the strike by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal or any other opposition party.

“Earlier, we decided to observe the strike on Wednesday but later changed the day because it will be too late to condemn the massacre,” he said.

He said the organisation was getting united for the first time in seven years to show its strength.

Traders unanimously held the MQM responsible for the bloodshed in Karachi and said the organisation would observe strike all over the country to show solidarity with the heirs to those killed there.

They said they did not care whether the MQM was an ally of the president. They said they had watched MQM people resorting to firing on television channels which was condemnable.

They said the violence was an open aggression against the country and it would be unfair if we did not raise our voice against it now, adding traders were condemning the bloodshed.

They said they were with those who had been brutally killed by armed marauders. Traders praised the media for, what they said, telling the truth to the nation with courage.

They said they had watched firing at the Aaj television offices and that no police or rangers came to help the staff entrapped inside.

NO STRIKE: The Qaumi Tajir Ittehad of Lahore rejected a strike call by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and said business in the city would continue today (Monday).

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, QTI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh and General Secretary Nazir Ahmad Chauhan condemned the Karachi bloodshed and urged the government to control violence and punish those responsible for it.

Nevertheless, they said they were not the stooges of any political party and had nothing to do with politics.

The traders in Lahore will not strike as they are down with loadshedding which has left a negative impact on business, according to them.

They said traders could not afford the strike. It wanted to see the country’s economy grow stronger and would therefore do business on Monday.

Ansar Zahoor Butt, Baber Ali Khan, Safdar Butt, Col Akbar and Raja Javaid were also present.