The trading community here on Monday observed complete shutter-down strike to condemn Saturday's carnage in Karachi by armed activists of Muttahida Qoumi Movement (MQM), coalition partner in federal and Sindh provincial governments.
The strike call was given by Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA), which was also endorsed by all political parties in NWFP. All important business centres including those situated in cantonment and Peshawar city presented a deserted look as majority of the shopkeepers kept their shutters down.
In the morning, majority of shops were opened and traders were found busy in business activities. However, persuasion by trader associations and political leaders convinced them to shut down their shops and join their protest.
Activists of opposition parties, except PPP-Parliamentarian, marched on the roads in the city to convince the trading community to join strike announced by the lawyers of the city. The political workers were carrying placards inscribed with the slogans in favour of struggle for independence of judiciary and flags of their political parties.
The march started from Shoba Chowk through Namak Mandi, Jehangirpura, Qissa Khwani, Dalgaran, Pipal Mandi, Chowk Yadgar, Ashraf Road and GT Road, turning into a public meeting in front of Peshawar High Court building, where the president of Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA), Abdul Latif Afridi, said that the movement, launched for 'independence' of judiciary would continue till the ousting of President General Pervez Musharraf and his political allies from power.
He said that the movement had become a political struggle and the lawyers would continue their co-operation with political parties. He said that they would not forgive the leadership of MQM for shedding the blood of the innocent people in Karachi on Saturday.
He called for giving public punishment to Altaf Hussain and his associates in connections with the bloodbath committed on the roads of Karachi. Awami National Party (ANP) leader Afrasiab Khattak said that the successful shutter-down strike showed the resolve of the people of the province, and demanded accountability of the killing of innocents and unarmed political workers on the roads and streets of the largest city of the country.
He vowed to continue the struggle till repatriation of their homeland, India. He said that all political parties are united against the military government, and added that time was ripe for establishment of a grand opposition alliance against the government.
Zahid Hussain, of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), termed President Musharraf a national traitor and military dictator, and added that the people by observing complete strike had announced their resolve that they would no more tolerate him. He bitterly criticised the involvement of military in politics.
The demonstrators were also addressed by Shuja-ul-Mulk (JUI-F), Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Abdul Waheed (JI), Ehsan-ul-Haq (JUI-F), Dr Said Alam Mehsud (PMAP and Mohammad Afzal of PML-N. Meanwhile, PPP-Parliamentarian, Peshawar City, staged a separate protest demo to condemn the May 12 episode in Karachi. Led by Zahir Ali Shah MPA, Ayub Shah and Azam Afridi and blocked main GT Road by burning tyres for one hour.
The PPP activists were chanting slogans against President General Pervez Musharraf and Altaf Hussain. They were calling MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, a terrorist.
Zahir Ali condemned the Karachi mayhem and called for action against the political party involved in the bloodshed. He also called for immediate arrest of killers of PPP leader Qamar Abbas. PML-N Sher Azam Khan and Mohammad Arshad Qureshi condemned MQM for shedding the blood of the political workers of opposition parties on Shara-e-Faisal, Karachi.