The strike was endorsed by the opposition alliance, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.
Though the strike appeared to be partial, it disrupted normal life across the city.
It remained by and large peaceful as except for a brief road blockade by the protesters at Banaras Chowk, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city.
Public transport largely remained off the road and most major markets remained closed since morning.
The Karachi Transport Ittehad and the Supreme Council of All-Pakistan Transports, which operate most of the city’s transport means, had announced that they would remain neutral vis-à-vis the strike. The UTS buses, however, were seen plying in different areas of the city.
Taking advantage of the situation, the drivers of taxis and rickshaws resorted to fleecing people by demanding fare of their choice.
In the morning, the number of even private vehicles on roads was thin but it rose gradually as peace prevailed during the day.
Attendance in the government offices also remained thin, mainly owing to the non-availability of the public transport means in the morning hours.
Similar was the situation at the public and private industrial units in Site, Korangi and other areas as major factory workers could not make it.
Routine activities at the Karachi port were affected to some extent due to the shortage of manpower.
Attendance in public and private sector educational institutions also remained thin. Most schools were already closed on account of winter vacations following completion of examinations.
The Jodia Bazaar was partially open with business activity being on a limited scale, market sources said.
The All-Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries had announced their support for the strike.
The main Electronic Market in Saddar remained closed while most shops and commercial concerns in Saddar and adjoining areas could not find customers.
Shopping centres like Tariq Road, Bahadurabad, Zainab Market, etc also remained closed during the day, although some shops there were seen open in the evening.
However, life in the Clifton and Defence areas remained unaffected by the strike as all major markets and shopping areas there remained open throughout the day.