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KARACHI, Jan 17: A strike-like situation prevailed in troubled areas of former district Central of the city for the second consecutive day on Friday as youths claiming themselves to be activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement forced shopkeepers to pull their shutters down.
The suspension of business activities was stated to be linked to mourning the death of two MQM activists who fell victim to target killing in Block-16 of Federal B Area on Wednesday night.
Salman Farooqui, aged 30, and Masood Ali, in his mid-20s, were shot dead and Omar Din, aged 32, was wounded by unidentified men near the UC-7 office behind Sagheer Centre in FB Area.
Youths appeared on roads and streets on Friday morning in Gulberg Town, and forced shopkeepers to close their shops to mourn the death of the MQM activists.
In some areas shopkeepers were allowed to open shops after Juma prayers. Shops, however, remained closed in most areas, including Karimabad, Joharabad, Water Pump, Dastagir, Azizabad, Gulberg and Aisha Manzil. Tension persisted in most localities of former district Central.
Some shops were forcibly closed also in Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
Due to tension, attendance of students remained thin in private and government educational institutions. Many remained closed on Friday.
Heavy deployment of police and Rangers was seen in the trouble areas, but law-enforcement personnel did not make efforts to get shops and markets opened as they did in the past. Neither anyone was arrested nor any case was registered in the troubled areas against those forcing people to close their business.
In the morning, public transport was thin and crowds of commuters were seen at bus stops. Many returned home after they could not get public transport. Private vehicles, however, plied roads.
In Azizabad, a shopkeeper said: “I and my family members voted for the MQM with the hope that peace would be restored after the MQM would come to power and people could run their business in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in former district Central. But we, who were sincere supporters of the MQM, are being punished for no fault of ours, when the MQM is in power and its nominee is the Sindh governor.”
Talking to this reporter, a small shopkeeper in Gulberg Town said: “Those running small business or shops are poor people. They cannot afford to close their shops even for one day. This shutdown for two consecutive days have inflicted big financial losses on us small shopkeepers.”
People were of the view that the death of the MQM activists should have been mourned by wearing black arm-bands or an appeal could have been made to shopkeepers to voluntary close their business and shops. They opposed forcing shopkeepers to shut their shops.
ARRESTED: Police arrested on Thursday night the union council-7 (UC-7) Nazim of Gulberg Town, Faizanullah, for his alleged involvement in the killing of two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
UC Nazim Faizanullah, Khalil and two others were named in the FIR 6/2002 for killing two MQM activists and injuring another. The Secretary-General of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawwar Hasan, and the Karachi chief of the Jamaat-i- Islami, Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui, were named as abettors in the case.
The FIR has been registered under section 302/324 of the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance, sections 109/34 of PPC and section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act.
Police arrested Faizan in a late night raid on Thursday, and raids to arrest his associates were continuing, police said.
Complainant Omar Din stated in the FIR that they were to have a meeting with Faizanullah scheduled at the latter’s office, and when they arrived at the UC-7 office for the meeting, Faizan was not present there.
They waited for him for some time and later decided to leave for home. As they walked down the street from the UC-7 office, four men, riding two motorcycles, intercepted them. On one of the motorcycles Faizanullah and Khalil were sitting and on the other were riding two men who were not known to him.
Omar stated, in the FIR, that Faizan and Khalil got down from the motorcycle and said that “on the directives of Munawwar Hasan, the JI Secretary-General, and Dr Merajul Huda, the JI Karachi chief and one of the candidates who contested the byelection from NA-242, they wanted to take revenge for the defeat of Dr Merajul Huda and opened indiscriminate fire with automatic weapons.”
FIRE AT UC OFFICE: A fire erupted on Friday evening at the office of UC-7 near Sagheer Centre in FB Area. Fire brigade sources said a cupboard, furniture and some record were destroyed by the fire before it could be put out.
The two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement were shot dead near the UC office on Wednesday night.
Police and fire brigade sources said the fire erupted due to short-circuit in electricity wiring. The office was closed when the fire broke out.
High-ranking officials of the city government and police reached the spot to ascertain whether the fire erupted accidentally or miscreants set the office on fire.
LAID TO REST: Funeral prayers of Salman Farooqui was offered in Jinnah ground at Azizabad after Juma prayers. Leaders and workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement besides people from various walks of life attended the funeral. Salman was later laid to rest in a local graveyard.
