KARACHI: About 5,000 sweepers went on complete strike yesterday [May 27] resulting in insanitary conditions. On Thursday [May 26], the strike was partial but it became complete yesterday, without any notice.

Of those on strike, about 4,000 sweepers belong to the Karachi Municipal Corporation while the rest are private, working in various localities. Among the strikers are stated to be over 3,000 Christian sweepers.

These sweepers allege that a young girl belonging to their community was abducted from Nazimabad area who has not yet been recovered and restored to her family. As a protest they have gone on strike.

A Karachi Police spokesman said last night that an abduction case was registered with Nazimabad Police, but the girl appeared in the court of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Nazimabad, and wanted to exercise her free will, as she was found to be a major. The court allowed her and she went with a man of her choice.

The spokesman said the strike was, therefore, uncalled for. The Police had registered a case but could not force the girl to return to her family.

As a result of strike since Thursday, the sanitary conditions in Karachi are deteriorating. The slaughter houses could not be cleaned yesterday causing bad smell in the surrounding areas.

The KMC spokesman said last night that they arranged the services of some sweepers yesterday to clean essential places, but the strikers would not allow them to work. The striking sweepers, it was alleged, stoned the municipal vans which were moving about in the city to make alternate arrangements.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016