KARACHI, March 31: Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui has announced enforcement of Section-144 throughout the province with effect from Thursday evening.

Under the order, assembly of five or more people has been prohibited. However, religious gatherings and the official/unofficial gatherings for which permission has been obtained are exempted.

Addressing a press conference in his office here on Thursday, the minister pointed out that the order would remain effective for seven days.

He expressed his displeasure over the Ponam’s decision about a strike call on a day when Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain was being observed. It was an attempt to use the religious occasion for achieving some political motives which was regrettable, he remarked.

Mr Siddiqui also expressed his dismay over strike calls by transporters. He stated that in Sindh, opposition parties enjoyed full democratic freedom, but it was the poor response from masses that resulted in failure of their processions and public meetings. “In the wake of such an embarrassment, they have given the strike call for April 2.”

The minister warned that those found damaging public and private property would be dealt with very sternly.

He said that anyone caught red-handed at the scene of such an incident would be made to pay compensation for the damage he had caused. If he appeared not able to do so, then the recovery of the compensation amount would be made from the local leader of the party he belonged to, said Mr Siddiqui, adding that in case the local leaders did not comply with the order, the amount would have to be paid by those who had given the strike call.

He declared that the government would never compromise on principles and would not allow anyone at any cost to damage public and private properties. “Anyone arrested while ransacking or setting on fire any vehicle or property would be regarded as a criminal involved in heinous crime,” he said, adding: “This must not be taken as a joke or a political statement.”

Mr Siddiqui said that orders had been issued for conducting raids and sealing of the printing presses involved in printing pamphlets. The persons found distributing the pamphlets would also be arrested, he added.

He said that two persons distributing pamphlets in Defence area had been taken into custody on Wednesday night. In reply to a question, he said that both the persons belonged to Jamaat-i-Islami and were found distributing the pamphlets asking people to observe strike.

He said that another person had been arrested in Gadap Town and during interrogation, the man revealed that he had been hired to set vehicles on fire.

The minister said that only five vehicles, three of them belonging to the KESC, had been burnt by saboteurs in the city on Thursday.

In reply to a question, Mr Siddiqui said that 27 political activists had been arrested in Karachi, 20 in Hyderabad and 19 in Dadu while details of other arrests were being collected.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Salahuddin Haider was also present on the occasion.—APP/PPI