Businesses in the port city remained open as usual and vehicles plied on the roads on Wednesday despite a strike call by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to protest against the Rangers’ siege at Farooq Sattar’s house.
In a statement released on Tuesday by MQM’s Rabita Committee, traders were requested to keep their business closed and transporters asked to keep public buses off streets, in a bid to show solidarity with the political party.
In the past, the MQM forcibly got the strike calls observed by the traders and the transporters as they feared that the party would retaliate by burning their businesses.
On the other hand, media quoted Sindh Rangers DG Major Gen Bilal asking citizens to not follow MQM’s strike call and vowing to take action against businesses which chose to shut down.
“Citizens should continue with routine activities. Rangers will deal with miscreants,” the statement added.
As the day progressed, a statement from the Rangers said that they had received complaints of shops being forced to close down at 23 different locations on their helpline. Ranger’s personnel reached the locations and businesses were resumed as usual, the statement said.
Highly perturbed over no response to its call, the MQM hit back at Rangers’ statement denouncing its call for a ‘peaceful strike’, saying that protesting peacefully was a legal and constitutional right of every political party.
“To hold peaceful protests is the constitutional, legal and human right of every political party,” said a statement issued by MQM Coordination Committee on Wednesday.
“MQM exercised its democratic right by appealing for a peaceful strike against Rangers’ illegal and inhumane practices,” it said.
“The statement of DG Rangers against MQM’s appeal for a peaceful strike is condemnable,” it said.
DG Rangers had earlier clarified that the paramilitary force did not raid the house of MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar but it carried out a search operation near the MQM stalwart’s residence.
Meanwhile reports from different areas of the city said the situation in most parts of Karachi remained normal on Wednesday and most businesses remained open as usual. Regular public transport could be seen on the roads of the metropolis.