Uncertain and panic like situation prevailed in Karachi following the Interior Ministry's order of banning motorcycle riding and suspension of mobile networks, which badly affected the official work in Sindh Secretariat and other state-run offices.
Though the ban on motorcycle ride was suspended by Sindh High Court (SHC) on late Thursday night, a large number of people were unaware about the late night development so attendance in offices remained low.
At Sindh Secretariat (Tuglaq house), which houses the offices of Home, Planning and Development (P&D), Agriculture, Education, Irrigation, Sports, Coal and Energy, Labour, Excise and Taxation, Transport and Local Government departments, attendance of lower-employees remained very thin due to the uncertain situation of the city.
Similarly, official work remained suspended in new Sindh Secretariat where offices of many ministers, including senior minister for Education, Works and Services, Food, Women Development, Irrigation and Finance are situated. Attendance at old KDA building, where offices of Anti Corruption Establishment, Zakat and Ushr, Population Welfare, Social Welfare, Culture, Housing, Inter Provincial Co-ordination and other departments are situated, was also very thin.
A senior official of Industries and Commerce department told Business Recorder that there were around 2 million registered motorcyclists only in Karachi and mostly lower-grade employees of provincial government were using motorcycle for attending offices. And a large number of employees could not reach office and official work was badly affected, he added.
Commenting on the issue, many lower-grade employees who came to their offices said that with no cell phones functioning in Karachi and a ban on motorcycle riding, Sindh secretariat wore a deserted look on Friday, which badly affected important official work. They advised the government to impose curfew in the city during the first 10 days of Muharram so that people could remain confined to their homes.