HYDERABAD: A partial strike was observed in the cities of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas on Sunday following a call by the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Due to the strike, major business centers in both cities remained closed since morning. Tea stalls, dairies, vegetable shops and other commercial outlets did not open, while only a few shops in streets and neighbourhoods remained operational.
Intercity passenger transport from Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas to other cities also remained suspended till Zuhr prayers, causing serious difficulties for commuters. On the call for the strike, heavy contingents of police were deployed at various locations and on major roads across both cities to maintain law and order.
Speaking on the occasion, Sindh PTI Deputy Secretary General Arif Ghafoor said the successful shutter-down strike on February 8 proved that the people of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas did not accept what he termed the Form-47 government.
He congratulated the public for making the peaceful strike a success. He condemned what he said the alleged raids and arrests carried out by Sindh police on the directives of the Sindh government, stating that during the past few days, particularly last night, illegal raids were conducted on the houses of PTI office-bearers, senior members, local government representatives, workers and ticket holders across Sindh.
He alleged that during these operations, family members were harassed, the sanctity of homes was violated, and PTI workers were arrested without justification and shifted to undisclosed locations.
