June 16, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1428

KARACHI, June 15: Life remained largely undisturbed in the city despite a strike call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) to protest against the killings of a student activist of the IJT and an activist of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), as well as a host of other issues facing the city and the country at large.

There was business as usual on Friday in the city’s major markets, although some of the markets that open for business after Friday prayers did not do so.

However, a statement issued by the MMA claimed that major markets and business centres were partially closed on the day in response to their strike call.

The city administration had adopted pre-emptive measures for the strike by deploying extra security forces to meet any eventuality.

However, no untoward incident was reported on the day apart from an episode at Saifee College in North Nazimabad, where some activists of a student organisation allegedly locked up the teachers in a room, while they tried to stop students from entering the college to take the HSC examination. These tactics merely managed to delay the commencement of the paper, while the controller examinations of the HSC said that generally, there was full attendance during the examinations in almost all the centres.

The areas which appeared to have suffered some effect of the strike were Patel Para, Lasbella Chowk, Jamshed Quarters, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Banaras Chowk, Sohrab Goth and some parts of Baldia Town, where public transport was a bit less than usual. There was a visible presence of the police and Rangers in these areas, which were considered sensitive.

There were some isolated incidents where tires were set ablaze and stones were pelted at passing vehicles in the morning.

The MMA statement claimed that transporters had also joined in the strike call by keeping their vehicles off the roads. But the transport bodies had earlier distanced themselves from the call.