The Punjab capital witnessed complete shutter-down on Monday as all businesses remained closed to protest the park bombing on Sunday evening which left scores of people dead. Police have cordoned off all sensitive locations to avoid any further mishap.
Those key markets and businesses which remained closed were included The Mall, Hall, Jail and Beadon roads and the Panorama, Naqi, Liberty, Moon and Gulshan-e-Ravi markets, Urdu Bazaar, Akbari Mandi, Icchra, Currency, Firdous and Gulberg's Main markets, Anarkali, Neela Gumbad, Abid Market, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Iqbal Town and Model Town Link Road.
Those also closed elsewhere were Defence Housing Authority's commercial centres and the Cantonment Area, Shah Alam and Yakki Gate markets, Circular and McLeod roads, and Auto-Market Badami Bagh.
The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and Pervez splinters announced a strike on Sunday to mourn the dead at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park. Mir Group General Secretary Naeem Mir said traders had also told their representatives in different markets in Lahore to pray (fateha khawni) for the park victims and their families. Khalid Group President Khalid Pervez was too quick to say his group was backing the strike to show solidarity.
Private schools, colleges and universities all over the Punjab too were closed on Monday though their public counterparts carried on with their classes amid a low-student turn-out. An already announced schedule for the Matric board examination still stands.