The call for a strike was given by the party to mourn the death of its two former legislators, Mustafa Kamal Rizvi and Dr Nishat Mallick, who were shot dead on April 26 by unidentified assailants in Sunset Boulevard, Defence Housing Authority.
Despite heavy deployment of police and other law-enforcement agencies, almost a complete strike was observed in all commercial areas and markets, including Boulton market, Saddar, Jodia Bazaar, Hyderi Market, Tariq Road, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Korangi, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority. Shops, markets and businesses remained closed.
The provincial government had called out army, rangers and frontier constabulary to assist the police in maintaining the law and order situation, and patrolling by the LEAs had been intensified, especially in sensitive parts of the metropolis.
A car (R-1923) was set ablaze by miscreants in Frere police limits on Thursday morning. Earlier, more than a dozen vehicles were set ablaze overnight during a pre-strike violence on Wednesday.
Most of the public transport remained off the road. Some of the people who tried to reach their workplaces faced hardship due to non-availability of public transport in the morning.
However, with the passage of time, some of the public transport operators brought out their vehicles on roads but their availability remained thin throughout the day. The private vehicles plied, but they were thin in number.
Attendance in government and private offices was negligible as staff could not reach their workplaces due to non-availability of public transport. Most of the bank branches and fuel filling stations also remained closed in several parts.
Many government offices could not function due to non- availability of staff.
Teaching was affected in a number of educational institutions as attendance of teachers, staff and students at various educational institutions in the government sector was pretty below than usual as they could not reach their institutions owing to non-availability of public transport and because of a sense of fear.
The business at the New Sabzimandi was also affected due to the strike.
Traders suffered losses due to the strike, said a member of the fruit and vegetable market, adding many perishable items could not be sent to the market.
The handling of cargo at the port was also badly affected due to non-availability of goods transport.
The proceedings in courts, including high court, city courts, accountability courts and anti-terrorism courts, was also affected as most of the staff failed to report to their duties.
The jail administration also failed to produce the usual number of UTPs in the concerned courts due to a tense situation.
In various cases, the hearings were adjourned without any progress in the proceedings.
Patients at Civil, Abbasi Shaheed Hospitals and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre did not turn up due to strike and non-availability of public transport.
Prof Naushad Shaikh, Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital, told Dawn that the attendance of doctors and paramedical staff was up to the mark but the number of patients was very low at OPD. However, surgical operations were carried out as per schedule, he added.
Similar situation was at JPMC and Abbasi as officials said surgical operations were conducted as doctors and paramedical staff was present.
Due to the strike, garbage could not be lifted, especially in the ares of defunct district Central as sanitary workers and garbage lifters did not turn up.
Garbage has piled up in various areas as May 1 was a public holiday and May 2 was observed as a strike which aggravated the situation.