KARACHI, June 4: Life in the city was paralyzed as a complete and peaceful shutdown was observed on Friday in response to the call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against the assassination of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and loss of innocent people's lives in bomb explosions.

The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and the Pakistan People's Party had also called for the observance of 'protest day' and 'day of mourning' on Friday against the acts of terrorism and lawlessness.

In their Jumma sermons, ulema, khateebs and other speakers condemned the target killing of Mufti Shamzai and murderous attacks on innocent people. Police guards were deployed at mosques and imambargahs and people entering the places of worship were frisked with electronic gadgets for the first time in the history of the country.

Meanwhile, there were reports of violence at Banaras Chowk and Sohrab Goth. In the MMA-dominated area of Banaras Chowk, some people erected barricades and burned tyres to block the main thoroughfare. Police rushed to the spot to disperse them.

However, the protesters pelted the police with stones which led to a clash between the two sides. The police applied baton-charge and lobbed teargas shells. The protesters responded with heavier stone-pelting which aggravated the situation.

As the clash continued, a group of youths emerged there and attacked the nearby Pirabad police station. They beat up the personnel on duty there which prompted the police to open fire. As a result, six people sustained bullet wounds and were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Ten policemen also suffered injuries after being hit with stones or some other hard and blunt objects. The disturbances continued for about an hour. Police picked up 25-30 people from Banaras Chowk area allegedly for their involvement in breach of peace.

At Sohrab Goth, protesters blocked Super Highway by setting old tyres and junk on fire in the middle of the road. Police resorted to baton-charging and teargas shelling to disperse them. Later, the road was cleared of barricades.

City police chief Tariq Jamil told Dawn over telephone that the overall law and order situation remained calm and peaceful as no incident of violence was reported from any other part of the city.

A visit to different localities showed that all main markets and commercial areas, including Saddar, Empress Market and electronics market, remained closed since morning. The streets of Bohri Bazaar, usually crowded, wore a deserted look.

Markets, bazaars, wholesale and retail shops, offices and other business establishments, hotels and vending shops in Boultan Market, Jodia Bazaar, Khori Garden, Kharadar, Mithadar, Tariq Road, Azizabad, Jauharabad, Gulberg, Hyder Market, Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and almost all other areas remained closed.

Public transport did not appear on roads since early morning and the people intending to get to their place of work had to return home after waiting for transport means in vain.

However, a little number taxis, yellow cabs and rickshaws were seen plying. Their drivers were demanding exorbitant fares taking advantage of the situation. Private vehicles were seen plying but in a negligible number. Attendance at public and private offices was almost nil. Only those having their own transport means were able to reach at their office.

Saleem Khan Bangash, chief of the National Transport Ittehad (NTI) said: "We observed a wheel-jam strike in response to the MMA's call." He said the strike was peaceful and none of the NTI members' vehicle was reported burnt during the day. Rail and air passengers were also affected by the non-availability of transport means. Many passengers missed their trains and flights.