The country’s financial capital was shut down due to a call for observing a ‘day of mourning’ by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) against extra-judicial killings of its party members. The party has called for a day of mourning in protest against the ‘extrajudicial killing’ of four MQM workers shot dead on Wednesday.
On MQM’s appeal to observe a day of mourning, traders closed down their businesses, commercial centers and shops in Karachi. Due to absence of public transport on roads, it became quite difficult for people to reach their destinations. Transporters have also said they would support the party’s call by keeping their vehicles off the roads. Petrol and CNG stations as well as major and minor business centers were shut across the city. The Private School Management Association.
Thursday had announced that schools operating privately would remain shut. Moreover, the Matriculation and Intermediate boards also postponed all examinations scheduled for today, the new dates for which would be announced later. Funerals of two of the deceased workers were held yesterday where as funerals of the remaining two, whose bodies were found at Super Highway on Thursday, is scheduled to take place at Numaish chowrangi on Friday afternoon. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had also taken notice of the killings of the MQM workers and ordered the formation of a committee headed by DIG Karachi East Munir Ahmed Shaikh to probe the matter. –dawn
