0
HYDERABAD, Oct 18: Notwithstanding tacit support from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the strike call given by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz for Thursday, in protest against the arrest of its chairman Bashir Khan Qureshi and vice chairman Dr Niaz Kalani, went unheeded in Hyderabad and Latifabad sub-divisions of the city. However, shops and markets remained closed in Qasimabad sub-division.
The shops, business houses and markets in Hirabad , Tilak Charhi, Shahi Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Resham Bazaar, Chhotki Ghitti, Phuleli, Paretabad, Station Road, cantonment shopping centre, Gul Centre and district council shopping centre of Hyderabad sub-division and the main markets and business centres of Latifabad did normal business.
However, in Qasimabad shops and business houses remained closed and tyres were also burnt at some places.
Reports reaching here said that 90 per cent of shops in Tando Mohammad Khan and 70 per cent in Tando Allahyar remained closed.
Kotri and Hala also reportedly remained open. However, the glasses of a bus in Kotri were smashed when some youth hurled stones on the bus.
No other untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
JSQM: The acting chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz Shafi Karnani, general secretary Shabbir Ahmed Jamali, and other leaders have expressed their gratitude to the business community, transporters and the people for observing complete peaceful strike throughout the province.
In a joint statement, the JSQM leaders also thanked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for extending support to make the strike successful.
They said that Basheer Khan Qureshi had always fought for the rights of Sindh.
They announced that a joint meeting of the JSQM and the MQM will be held in Karachi on Friday to chalk out future course of action.
Our Dadu correspondent adds: On the call of the JSQM against the arrests of party chairman Basheer Khan Qureshi and vice-chairman Niaz Kalani, a complete strike was observed here on Thursday.
A group of JSQM workers exploded crackers in Dadu, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Bhan Saeedabad towns. A sweet shop of Muzammil was damaged partly when a cracker exploded in front of the shop.
The district police arrested JSQM leader Ghulam Mustafa Lund, and registered a case under section 3 of the Explosive Act against him and Mansoor Jamali.
Some enraged youth also exploded crackers in Shahi Bazaar and Machhi Market of the Dadu town.
A passer-by, Ghulam Mustafa Chandio, was injured when some unidentified men threw a cracker in Shahi Bazaar of the Khairpur Nathan Shah town. The injured was taken to the taluka hospital.
The taluka police raided the house of the JSQM president of Dadu, Habibullah Kathio, and arrested his brother, Sher Muhammad Kathio, and Muhammad Aslam Mallah.
Meanwhile, the Jamshoro police arrested Soomar Khan Jamali and five other JSQM activists from the Jamshoro railway crossing when they smashed the glasses of vehicles and tried to took out a rally.
The traffic remained suspended on the Dadu-Hyderabad Indus Highway and other main roads of the district.
The students of Degree College Mehar boycotted their classes.
Our Thatta Correspondent adds: Two police constables and a JSQM leader and academician were injured when some JSQM workers resisted the Daro police attempt to arrest their leader during the strike that remained effective here.
When the police arrested a leader of the party, Roohal Qureshi, and beat him up publicly while taking him to the police station, enraged party youth pelted the police mobile with stones, wounding two constables. One injured was identified as Nawaz Khaskheli.
Our Shikarpur correspondent adds: A partial strike was observed here on Thursday.
Local JSQM leaders expressed their concern over the arrests of their party leaders and demanded their immediate release.
The strike call received a lukewarm response in Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Jacobabad and Naushahro Feroze districts, where all markets remained open throughout the day.
Adds our Larkana correspondent: Responding to the call of the JSQM, strike was observed in different parts of Larkana district on Thursday in protest over the arrest of Bashir Khan Qureshi and Niaz Kalani.
Partial strike was observed in Larkana City where only main trade centres remained shut amidst tight security arrangements by the police.
The activists of the JSQM took out a procession in Ratodero amidst the presence of heavy police force.
They staged sit-in outside local press club.
Police had blocked their way to motorway and the bus terminal.
In Kambar where complete strike was observed, the workers of JSQM took out a procession.
