The attendance in government offices remained thin in the wake of the traders' strike call, as public and private transport remained off the roads during the day. The strike was observed on the call of traders in reaction against the killings of a trader in the Sher Shah scrap market and the growing incidents of extortion in the metropolis.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other religious parties had also announced their support to the strike call. "Lower-grade-employees of Pakistan and Sindh Secretariat buildings use to come to their offices on local transport while a large number of officers and employees used their own vehicles for this purpose," an employee told Business Recorder.
According to him, the city roads were devoid of local transport while all petrol and CNG filling stations also remained closed. "This is why a large number of officers/ employees could not reach their offices, halting all official work." Very few officers/employees were seen in provincial government offices at the Sindh Secretariat (Tugluq House). Doors of several offices were closed.
Offices of the provincial secretaries of home, planning and development (P&D), agriculture, education, irrigation, sports, coal and energy, labour, excise and taxation and local government departments are situated at various floors of the Tugluq House.
Work was also similarly halted in the seven-storey building of the New Sindh Secretariat where offices of many ministers, including senior minister for education, works and services, food, women development, irrigation and finance are located. The provincial Chief Secretary's office is also part of that building which is located on the first floor.
Most employees working the another of the Sindh secretariat building, the Old KDA building, near the RTO building, also could not make it to their offices. Offices of anti-corruption establishment, zakat and ushr, population welfare, social welfare, culture, housing, inter-provincial co-ordination and other departments are parts of this building.
Likewise, many important offices are situated in the barracks opposite Sindh Assembly building and near the Sindh High Court Building. Traders' strike also affected work in all offices in the barracks, including information, power, labour, finance, health, forest, zakat and ushr, excise and taxation, home and other departments. Offices of several federal institutions, located in Pakistan Secretariat near the MPA hostel, were also closed while the office of the Directorate of colleges also remained closed.