KARACHI, Oct 11: As part of extra security measures, the army would carry out flag march in addition to patrolling by rangers and police in the city on Friday, in the wake of a strike call given by the Pakistan Afghan Defence Council to express solidarity with the Afghan people.
The Sindh Chief Secretary, Javed Ashraf, told Dawn that the administration had taken all possible steps to maintain law and order and to provide security to the people.
“We have asked the transporters and the business community to continue their businesses as the government would provide them security and no one would be allowed to disturb peace.”
The IGP Sindh told Dawn from Islamabad on phone that “we are in contact with the leaders of the party which has given a call for the strike and they have assured us that the strike would be peaceful,” he added.
He said he had also talked to the city police chief and the SSP West where two public meetings are scheduled to be held and both the officials are also in contact with the leaders of the Afghan Defence Council.
He said that police has already prepared a plan to handle the situation and our measures would be foolproof, the IGP added.
Police officials said extra police deployment at Kakri Ground, Shershah and Dawood Chowrangi will be made in the morning where the three public meetings are scheduled to take place after Juma prayers.
Meanwhile, the DIG Traffic has announced that the Fatima Jinnah Road will remain closed for traffic from Oct 12 till further orders. The people have been asked to take alternative road.
This temporary arrangement has been made in view of the prevailing situation in the city.
Shahrah-i-Iran from Do Talwar up to Helipad and Abdullah Haroon Road from Sindh Club to Hoshang Chowk are already closed for traffic movement.
MINIBUS SET ABLAZE: A mini-bus of route KL was set ablaze by unknown people in Landhi on Thursday night.
Police said the bus (JE-0348) plying between Landhi-Korangi and Khokhrapar was set on fire by unknown miscreants at Landhi-89.
A fire tender reached the spot, but the vehicle had been completely gutted before it could be saved, police said.
PADC CALL: The Pak-Afghan Defence Council has given a call for “a peaceful strike” in Sindh on Friday to protest against the US attacks on Afghanistan and to express solidarity with people of Afghanistan.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, local leaders of the PADC, Maulana Asad Thanvi, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid, Qari Muhammad Osman, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Hashim Siddiqui and Maulana Osman Yar Khan said that the brutal bombardment on the people of Afghanistan was an attack on Islam.
“The brutal bombardment on Afghanistan is enough to open the eyes of the people and exposed the real terrorists”, the PADC leaders said and urged the people to observe a peaceful strike and join the rally in the evening at 4 pm at Quaidabad Chowk.
The leaders lamented the attitude of the Pakistan government for facilitating the US in carrying out attacks on a Muslim brother country.
They said the PADC had declined invitations to attend a meeting with the chief secretary of the government of Sindh and another meeting at the governor’s house at 5 pm and 7 pm respectively, in view of the past experience of such futile meetings.
About the outcome of the foreign ministers conference of the Organisation of Islamic Countries held at Qatar, they said that voice was raised for the people of Afghanistan by some Muslim countries and they deserved gratitude for it, while those who extended support to the US deserved condemnation.