KARACHI: The city on Thursday braced for a shutdown with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) holding sit-ins across the metropolis on Friday as the PPP government looked indifferent to the activity, with police offering ‘best possible security to the protesters’ and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supporting their ‘constitutional right’.

The traders and transporters associations did not announce their support for or opposition to the sit-ins. They asked traders and transporters to decide on their own about Friday business considering security and commercial activity in their respective areas.

“We will stage sit-ins at 11 major traffic intersections,” said a spokesman for the PTI. “They are Native Jetty Bridge, Shershah Chowk, Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad, Hasan Square on University Road, Nursery and Star Gate bus stops on Sharea Faisal, Kala Pul, Teen Talwar in Clifton, Manzil Pump on the National Highway, Numaish Chowrangi and at Al-Asif Square on the Superhighway.”

At the 11 points, senior leaders of the PTI including chairman Imran Khan would address the workers, he said. In addition, 15 other places had been marked for the sit-ins which would be addressed by the district level party leadership.

Leaders of the party, which had history of successful political shows in Karachi in recent past, are hopeful about continuing with the trend on Dec 12 as the momentum built late on Thursday suggests that the party would be able to mark the day with success.

Contrary to the Punjab government unsympathetic approach that triggered violence in Faisalabad, the PPP government mood seems more ‘facilitating’ than resisting the protests, thereby raising chances of PTI success.

“We will definitely facilitate them [PTI sit-ins] and provide every due security to the participants,” said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah while speaking to the media after presiding over a meeting to review Karachi’s law and order in view of the PTI sit-ins and Imam Hussain Chehlum processions scheduled for Saturday.

“They should have planned sit-ins after Chehlum, as during these days you all know that security situation remains vulnerable. The police and the law enforcement agencies are engaged in Chehlum-related arrangements but we will provide all due security to the PTI wherever they want to stage a sit-in.”

The MQM, which traded barbs with the PTI on several occasions in the past, appeared more willing this time to create political space as MQM chief Altaf Hussain called it the constitutional and political right of the PTI to stage sit-ins in Karachi. “It’s the political and constitutional right of the PTI, and the MQM respects that right,” he said in a statement. “They may stage protest, demonstration and sit-ins in Karachi and no one should have any objection against their activity. I just appeal to keep all activities peaceful.”

With demonstrations on a dozen key roads, traffic is definitely going to be affected though what matters most for the shutdown of Karachi is the regular operation of fuel stations, transport and major commercial centres — signature activity of the city’s business.

Statements from the representatives of key business operators suggest that it would not be just another day of shutdown for the Karachiites.

“We are not supporting the call, neither are we putting any resistance against that,” said the spokesman for the Karachi Tajir Ittehad — a common platform of 350 wholesale and retail markets across the city. “It depends on the city situation. How can one open shop or showroom when there are sit-ins at more than a dozen places, leaving grim business chances and raising security risk level? We have left the decision to the traders.”

Irshad Bukhari of the Karachi Transport Ittehad also left it to the transporters to decide on their own considering the security situation and traffic scene.

Educational institutions

The Sindh education minister insisted that teachers, staff and students attend educational institutions as a matter of routine on Friday but he could not convince a private schools association to strictly follow the decision.

“All schools and colleges throughout the province will remain open on Friday. Teachers and students are advised to attend as on any normal day,” said education minister Nisar Khuhro a couple of hours after the All Private Schools Management Association’s announcement showed uncertainty about educational activities due to PTI sit-ins in Karachi.

“The All Private Schools Management Association has issued directives to the city’s private schools to judge the situation in their particular areas to decide whether to close the schools or keep them open on Friday,” Khalid Shah of the APSMA told Dawn.”We are not announcing closure of all the schools this time. We are asking the schools to assess the situation and then decide what to do in this regard.”

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014