KARACHI, Sept 9: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that the opposition’s strike call failed to get popular response in Karachi and elsewhere. The governor, who was talking to journalists at the Governor’s House on Friday evening, said banks, schools, port and other commercial institutions, including the stock market, remained open and public transport was operating normally.

People remained unconcerned with the strike call. This attitude of the people was their expression of the confidence in government’s policies, he added. In reply to a question, the governor said in view of the mandate given by the people in the recent elections, the government was confident that except to protect life and property of the people, no arrests were made in the province.

He said concerned agencies were investigating the incident of two blasts in the Clifton area and legal action would be initiated against those found involved in the blasts. To another question, he said it was due to strict measures taken by the authorities that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

Mr Ibad advised the opposition to accept the mandate of the people and if they had any problem or complaint, the assemblies and other elected forums were there to take up the issues and seek relief. Strikes in no way could benefit the people, he said.

However, he made it clear that if opposition’s calls for strike were found detrimental to economic activity and created law and order problem, the government would certainly take action.

APP adds: Dr Ibad said the opposition parties had no genuine issue but they wanted to give vent to their frustration after the people had expressed their support to the government’s policies by giving mandate in favour of candidates supported by the government-allied parties in recent local body elections.