June 28, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1429

LAHORE, June 27: Traders in the provincial metropolis on Friday joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in observing a ‘black day’ against the Lahore High Court judgement of disqualifying former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif from contesting the National Assembly by-elections.

Joined by lawyers, PML-N activists took out processions in Lahore and the district headquarters in the Punjab.

In Lahore, traders observed a strike on the call of the Qaumi Tajar Ittehad. All major markets and shopping centres, the fruit and vegetable markets, Shahalmi, Azam Cloth Market, medicine market, Urdu Bazaar, Anarkali, Circular Road, Railway Road, Chemical Market, Brandreth Road, Landa Bazaar, Loha Market, Badami Bagh, Mcleod Road, Montgomery Road, The Mall, Beadon Road, Ferozpur Road, Wahdat Road, Liberty and Ichhra remained completely shut.

Partial strike was observed in markets in residential areas of Gulshan-i-Ravi, Samanabad, Mozang, Garden Town, Gulberg, Allama Iqbal Town, Model Town, Township, Moghalpura, Dharampura, Defence, Chowk Yateem Khana, Baghbanpura, Moghalpura and Garhi Shahu.

Qaumi Tajar Ittehad Lahore president Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that the business community had observed the strike to register its protest against deteriorating law and order situation and injustices.

The traders, he said, would announce their future course of action after holding a meeting next week.

The Anjuman Tajran Pakistan, another traders’ body, will observe strike in Lahore on Saturday (today).

In rest of Punjab, businesses observe Friday as a holiday.