A complete strike was observed across Sindh on Friday on the call of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) to protest publication of blasphemous cartoons in the western media. The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) also supported the strike call.
All the opposition parties took out various rallies after Friday prayers in all district headquarters and major towns. The strike remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the province.
Speakers raised vociferous slogans against President George W. Bush and Western countries and demanded boycott of Western products and severing all diplomatic and trade relations with the offending countries.
In Hyderabad, a complete strike was observed in all the four Talukas of the district and the adjoining towns. All the main shops and business centres, including small grocery shops and petrol pumps, remained closed. Even the public transport remained off the roads and the entire city wore a deserted look except for a few motorcycles and private cars.
All the educational institutions remained closed and even the attendance in government offices remained thin. The administration had made strict security arrangements.
Thousands of people came out on the roads after Friday prayers. The opposition parties, including MMA, PPP and PML-N, took out rallies and all the protesters converged at Hyder Chowk where they burnt the effigies of President Bush and the prime minister of Denmark. Vegetable and fruit market, Liaquat market, Sarafa Bazaar, M.A. Jinnah Road and Saeed market remained closed.
JACOBABAD: A complete strike was also observed in Jacobabad against publication of blasphemous cartoons in the European media. The traffic remained suspended. Hundreds of workers of MMA, PPP, JI, JUI, PML-N, PPP-SB and citizens took out a protest procession. The rally started from Qasimul Uloom Madressa and after passing through main road it reached Quetta Road, where the participants blocked the road and staged sit-in.
Later, the rally reached DCO Chowk. The protesters carrying placards, banners and their party flags raised slogans against the European countries.
Dr A.G. Ansari (JUI), Imdadullah Bijarani (JI), Raja Jakhrani (MMA), Mohammad Akram Abro (Shehri Ittehad), Nadeem Qureshi (PPP-SB), Abdul Sattar Brohi (PPP) and others demanded of the government to send back US troops from Shahbaz Air Base.
Lawyers also took out a procession led by advocates Haji Anwar Jakhrani, Abdul Jabbar Lashari, Abdul Sattar Attar and Bilawal Buriro.
Reports reached here said that complete strike was also observed in Kandhkot, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Naushero Feroze, Moro, Badin, Dadu, Mithi, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Mirwah, Digri, Tando Jan Mohammad, Jhuddo, Naukot, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Samaro, Kunri, Pithoro and Shadi Palli towns. Protests rallies were also taken out in these areas.
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