Karachi wears deserted look as businesses remain shut

E-Paper | April 29, 2026

— File Photo

KARACHI: Life in Karachi remained at a standstill on Saturday as businesses and offices remained shut and traffic remained off the roads as fear and panic that had set in on Friday evening lasted today, DawnNews reported.

On Friday, routine life in Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas had come to a halt following intermittent firing by unidentified youths who wanted to ensure a complete closure.

In Karachi, the areas of North Karachi, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Jahangir Road, Nazimabad as well as Saddar remained closed and the localities gave a deserted look.

Most public events scheduled for Saturday in the city were postponed and shops and businesses remained closed. Moreover, public transport was scarce and in several areas absent from the roads.

Furthermore, the annual elections of the Karachi Bar Association, scheduled for today, were postponed to Dec 19 as lawyers could not reach the city courts’ premises to cast their votes.

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G.Dastagir

Dec 15, 2012 06:47pm

anyone who lives in Sindh especially in Karachi now knows the game, and the game is that, the Islamabad wants Karachi its satellite state, it isn't true that the epics court of Pakistan only wants re-verification of voters in Karachi, and also alter and modification of electoral seats in Karachi? and for that purpose they only ordered for the deployment of Pakistan Army? why it is happening in Karachi?? it clearly shows they wants to turn Karachi into insurgency, like wise in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa and Fata. So, the Islamabad should ready to face, the entire elimination of Pakistaniyaat from Karachi and Sindh. G.Dastagir Advocate,

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Ali Kh

Dec 15, 2012 12:01pm

lol PEACEFULLY is the term! moreover what are they protesting about? Lame reaction!

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muzammil ullah khan

Dec 15, 2012 12:41pm

what on earth is happening in karachi ?

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Patriot

Dec 15, 2012 12:41pm

Allah does not change the condition of a people until they try to change it themselves.Its time to wake up people. What more do we need to understand that our politicians are the plague destroying our nation and its people. Its time for change. Its time for a new Pakistan!

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Khalid

Dec 15, 2012 12:24pm

Please don't insult Rwanda.

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pal

Dec 15, 2012 08:16am

yeh UK nahe he This is karachi

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Tim

Dec 15, 2012 09:38am

where is the police, rangers, army , ???

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yahya

Dec 15, 2012 08:22am

deserted with forces using guns/bullets.

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arpan

Dec 15, 2012 09:55am

you say a thing against them and they react like this. No accountability or respect for law.

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zohaibasad

Dec 15, 2012 11:40am

Notice in return given to the supreme court of pakistan!

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Khan

Dec 15, 2012 08:38am

This is not democracy at all wherein people come out and force closure of normal life!!!

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Proxi

Dec 15, 2012 08:45am

Politicians should stop torturing public for their own means, we vote them to protect us not to threaten us....is this democracy

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Cyrus Howell

Dec 15, 2012 10:30am

That's no good. The extortionists will not be able to collect any money. How will they feed their families?

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Kaiser

Dec 15, 2012 02:59pm

PATHETIC reporting....pathetic Journalism by Dawn Reporters....3 line news article failed to explain WHY the shops were closed and on whose behest ..MQM/ANP/PPP??? and what Government legal action are being taken for unlawful strike, who called the strike etc.......Sold out Politician, sold out Journalist and SCARED media to protect the corrupt and unjust and then KEEP SILENT about real issue and problem in KARACHI. You Illiterate-educated guys DO NOT bother to take the trouble to cast your vote and and let the poor labour sell his vote for Rs 500. Then you LAZY LOTS wait impatiently to see who has won Election...SHAME ON ALL OF YOU for calling yourself Pakistani. Pakistan ka Allah hi Hafiz hai Vote for Imran Khan to save Pakistan Kaiser London

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Ahmed Saeed

Dec 15, 2012 02:56pm

Absolutely true.

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Dec 15, 2012 09:02am

might is right and everyone knows who is might

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Sam

Dec 15, 2012 02:34pm

Karachi is a safe heaven for terrorists, looters and criminals.Serious operation is required as soon as possible.

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adam memon

Dec 15, 2012 02:34pm

Horrible.How long this will continue.God bless our beloved country.Inshallah the culprit will be punished here and here after.

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sadiq

Dec 15, 2012 10:52am

karachi is like columbia where is army ? army instead of protecting the life and property of everyone is busy in elsewhere busy in arabian sea exercise? no one is safe? there is no govt ? there is nobody ?

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Owais

Dec 15, 2012 10:54am

Is this Rowanda or Tribal area??? Is there any govt. institution responsible for law and order??? Huge corruption scandals and now this!! Where these so called leaders taking this country!! What a shame!!!

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umair khan

Dec 15, 2012 10:55am

long live the democracy and i feel like saluting my poluting,sorry political parties who kill us for pity personal gains.

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umair khan

Dec 15, 2012 10:56am

its the legitimate right of MQM to protest peacefully

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Khanm

Dec 15, 2012 10:57am

Well, at least now you know who is incharge.... It is an ill wind, it blows no one no good.

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majid canada

Dec 15, 2012 04:16pm

name a sigle muslim country in the world that has survived democracy exept to some extent turkey. unfortunately muslims only survive under dictatorship or marshal law and that is the only solution to save this country.

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Dec 15, 2012 12:10pm

government is doing its best to save its seats lol, seats / power are superior to human lives

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Bleeding karachi

Dec 15, 2012 12:49pm

You call this peacefull? paralising the city with the barrel of gun

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SAL

Dec 15, 2012 02:25pm

This is what the Enemy of the State wanted.................loss of revenue, loss of business, or, in oher words 'Total Loss to Karachi'. Karachi Walo uttho jago in ko mar k bagaho. Karachi ko phir lighton say jagao

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Aslam

Dec 15, 2012 04:07pm

Altaf should b bring to book for closing karachi

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khalidmurad1

Dec 15, 2012 06:14pm

What a beauty of Democracy? People should be treated as sarficial goats for this Kali Devi known as "Democracy". So what if people are dying of hunger, target killing or riots, we should be happy that politicians are safe and "Democracy" is progressing.

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Mir

Dec 15, 2012 11:45am

how many times has this happened this year? Forget corruption, weak tax collection, etc. Each day Karachi is closed (i.e. the business centre of Pakistan is closed) costs Pakistan over USD 3 Billion. Can't smart Bilawal makes himself useful for a change and push his dad to sort out this mess. Security should be the basic service provided by the state. Forget about rods, education, health and all the rest....

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TKhan

Dec 17, 2012 03:08pm

Although MQM has best intentions and interest of majority of Urdu Speaking People, but their tactics to show strength and policy of confrontation is damaging tor their image with rest of the country. They should not have the policies of isolation and actions causing hardship to general public. How many times can they close or disrupt economic activity? Eventually it will cause the loss of support of sympathetic business community and educated supporters; and Federal Government may end up try resolving through force. Showing up at the court, what does that give them, in fact what did it give Sharif Brothers; when their followers showed up at the court? Karachi has legitimate beef with Federal which must be resolved through collective bargaining instead of show of force from either side. Know when to hold the and know when to fold them!

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sattar

Dec 15, 2012 01:30pm

They are in the hiding!!

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Asim

Dec 15, 2012 01:30pm

Yes but only 'peacefully'. By the way what are they protesting for? A notice issued to their chief for disrespecting the judiciary!

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A pakistani

Dec 15, 2012 01:28pm

Well the only solution now is throw all these three parties out of karachi as this is all noora kushti...beleive me......anyone who lives in karachi now knows this game

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Ali

Dec 15, 2012 01:18pm

Wow,all this just to prove that Altaf is beyond any law. Altaf is a UK citizen and UK who keeps giving lectures on democracy, rule of law and tolerance to the whole world but does not take action against Altaf's dirty politics. Double standards of West is ruining the World. Why they don't apply rules equal to everyone? I beg honourable UK Govt to please for God's sake don't protect elements like Altaf. Please take action against Altaf

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Jimmy Butt

Dec 15, 2012 01:13pm

what is happening in Karachi is a symptom of a bigger problem. If this isn't tackled headon, soon the whole country will be in the grip of terror, corruption, and lawlessness.

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A Student

Dec 15, 2012 03:34pm

Is it is a democratic way of protest or terror strike on the power of bullet, where is law enforcement agencies, people are on the mercy of these Organized Terror Forces....

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Feroz Ahmad

Dec 15, 2012 10:29pm

Some European writers are continuously misusing the word "Jihads" in their book. For example Thomas Asbridge, Senior lecturer in the Medieval History at Queen Mary University in London has used some dozen times the word Jihad his book "The Crusades" (2010) unnecessarily. Instead calling a Muslim as a Muslim he preferred to use the term Jihadis in this 767-page history book. This is clearly a sign of prejudice. The fact is that the European Crusaders won the First Crusade (1095 AC), but lost the rest 7 Crusades. There were total 8 Crusades with Arabs (Muslims of Palastine) and Europeans.

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AAK

Dec 16, 2012 02:08am

They are busy saving Peshawar Air Base

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A well wisher

Dec 16, 2012 03:13am

This is the time to change. If we continue to elect our current leaders, we will be crying for the next 5-10 years. This is the time to stop the nonsense and hope for a better future. The power is still in our hands to vote maturely, sincerely and honestly. Otherwise, we will continue to wait for miracles. Miracles won't happen now because we have already left Allah's rope.

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Gerry D'Cunha

Dec 17, 2012 09:08am

in my opinion, the karachi police are the root cause of karachi's destruction - from IG to low grade policewala are hand in glove in coruptions and sympathisers of the criminals - local police stations are sold on highest bids, how can one expect peace and harmony in karachi - how does the chief justice not aware of all this activities?

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Ali

Dec 16, 2012 07:02am

Can anyone guide me, what to do if Judiciary gets politicized or corrupt???..i remember ther was a guy named Pervez Musharraf who tried to take action against politicized and corrupt Judiciary but today that guy doesnt exist....who is the mafia???

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Anwar Amjad

Dec 16, 2012 07:03am

MQM is making a big mistake. Show of street power may work with the governments but not with the courts. In fact it may backfire.

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