SUKKUR, June 19: A complete shutter-down strike was observed on the second consecutive day in Jacobabad on Wednesday to protest against the anti-encroachment drive.

A protest rally was also taken out in Jacobabad which marched through the main thoroughfares of the city and later staged a sit-in in front of the DCO office.

As many as 500 people, the majority of whom were members of trade unions, also observed a token hunger strike at the Sarafa Bazaar Chowk.

Jacobabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ahmad Ali Brohi, while talking to newsmen, said they were being punished due to their loyalty with Elahi Baksh Soomro against whom the Sindh governor planned to contest the coming election.

However, Naib Nazim Mumtaz Jakhrani said they had conducted the operation to remove the encroachments.

Meanwhile, former National Assembly speaker Elahi Bakhsh Soomro went to Jacobabad on Wednesday to console his friend who was victimized in the “politically-motivated” anti-encroachment drive and condemned the attitude of the district Nazim and the district coordination officer, who, according to him, were playing in the hands of the Sindh governor and were victimizing people.

He was talking to this correspondent on the telephone from Jacobabad.

He said shops of only those people were bulldozed who were favouring him and had refused to support the Sindh Governor.