Strike disrupts normal life in Pakistani city

A shutter-down strike, called by a powerful ethnic group against the wave of violence, brought life in the Pakistani commercial hub of Karachi to a standstill on Tuesday, residents said. Police and hospital sources said that death toll from ethnic and target attacks reached upto 100 over the past week time. Nearly 300 people were also killed only in July, according to data by police and hospital sources. The Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which mainly represented the Urdu-speaking people in Karachi, had called for a shutter-down strike in Karachi to condemn and mourn the deaths. Farooq Sattar, a senior MQM leader, alleged on Monday that miscreants have targeted ethnic Urdu-speaking people during the fresh wave of violence in Karachi. There has been sharp increase in the violence after the last week killing of a former parliamentarian, Waja Karim Dad, in a hand grenade attack in Lyari area of Krachi. Slain former MP belonged to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Security officials said that criminal gangs were mostly involved in the recent violence in Karachi, the multi-ethnic city of around 18 million people. Groups, which took forced tax from the business community, were also blamed for violence. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani dashed to Karachi on Monday in a move to personally review the fast deteriorating law and order situation and to discuss with authorities how to check violence. He ordered tough action against the miscreants and to restore peace. Mr Gilani tried to convince the MQM to re-join the government but the MQMdelegation reportedly declined a request for a meeting with the Prime Minister. The government was under mounting pressure to deploy army in Karachi as the police and paramilitary force have failed to quell violence. The Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani said last week army was ready to help in restoration of peace if the government asks for its peace role. But Prime Minister Gilani ruled out deployment of army and said the police and paramilitary force would succeed to restore normalcy. The MQM strike paralyzed life in Karachi where all main markets, petrol and CNG stations and most of private offices were closed and traffic off the roads. Main organizations of of traders and transporters had supported the MQM strike call and said they could not do business in uncertain environment. Hyderabad, the second largest city in southern Sindh, of which Karachi was the capital, also shut as it was also another stronghold of the MQM. All major markets were closed and transport disappeared from roads, residents and local media said. Both major cities were giving a deserted look and several educational institutions had postponed exams that were to be held on Tuesday. All private schools in the major cities were closed. People could not find transport and attendants in government offices was also badly affected. Strike has also affected normal life in some other cities in interior Sindh province where the MQM has deep influence.