- Title: PAKISTAN: STRIKE CALLED TO PROTEST AGAINST CLAMPDOWN ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.
- Date: 18th April 2001
- Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (APRIL 17, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/GV: VARIOUS OF BUS BURNING (3 SHOTS) 0.18 2. GV/ZOOM OUT/LV/GV/PAN: POLICE AND BURNING BUS/ FIRETRUCK ARRIVING AT SCENE (2 SHOTS) 0.31 3. MV: SECURITY 0.34 4. GV: VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISHING FIRE (4 SHOTS) 0.59 5. GV: STREETS OF KARACHI 1.04 6. GV/PAN/MV: POLICE PATROLLING STREET (3 SHOTS) 1.24 7. GV/MV: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT MARKET (3 SHOTS) 1.43 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 3rd May 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVAE4EN1GLZVPEFI63U3ZMTWR1R8
- Story Text: Opposition activists in Pakistan's port city of Karachi
have called for a one-day strike to protest at government
clampdowns on political activities and its failure to deal
with chronic water shortages.
At least a dozen vehicles were set ablaze and shops
closed early in various places in Karachi on Tuesday (April
17) ahead of a strike called by the influential group Mutiheda
Qaumi Movement (MQM), the biggest political party in Karachi.
The strike is set for Wednesday (April 18) and MQM
officials said they hope it would be widely observed
throughout southern Sindh province.
As night fell, some shops closed early and a number of
vehicles were set ablaze, a tactic used to intimidate people
into following the strike call, fire brigade officials and
witnesses said.
"We sent our fire engines to douse seven vehicles, mostly
buses, in different parts of the city," a senior fire brigade
official said.
Nasreen Jalil, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM), the biggest political party in Karachi, told
Reuters she hoped the strike, called for Wednesday, would be
widely observed throughout southern Sindh province.
"This is a protest against state excesses against peaceful
demonstrations," she said, adding that she hoped the strike
would pass peacefully.
"(This) depends on the government whether they want to keep
it peaceful or otherwise," she said.
"We are meeting various transport bodies and various other
organisations to persuade them to close their businesses for
the strike tomorrow."
The military government has banned all public rallies and
demonstrations and security forces have arrested thousands of
political workers over the past month.
Police battled protesters in Karachi on Monday with tear
gas and batons as people demonstrated against water shortages.
Local political and religious parties in Sindh have staged a
series of protests against the water crisis, accusing the
military government of withholding irrigation supplies in some
areas of the province in favour of the populous central
province of Punjab.
The government denies the charge, saying it is doing
everything it can to solve the problem which has badly hit
crops and livelihoods.
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