Staff Report

KARACHI: The city witnessed an unannounced strike on Saturday after six people were killed overnight in different areas of the country’s financial hub, SAMAA reports.

Life once again came to a halt today, with education institutions, main markets, business areas, petrol pumps closed under fear, while the transporters also joined the chorus, making it hard for commuters to make it to their destinies.

Burning of vehicles by miscreants was also reported from few areas.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced day of mourning today (Saturday) across the province in protest against the killings of six people near Banaras Flyover on late Friday night.

Those injured were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment but four of them succumbed to injuries and two died later.

The incident spread chaos in the locality, forcing owners to shut down their shops as business activities did not resume on Saturday.

Meanwhile, indiscreet firing from unknown bike riders killed a man near Bilal Colony at Korangi in wee hours of Saturday.

According to MQM’s statement, the coordination committee strongly flayed the killings of innocent citizens in Orangi. It appealed traders and industrialists to keep their businesses closed in metropolis on Saturday to express solidarity with the bereaved families.

Karachi University announced cancellation of its today’s papers in the academy.

The mourning was also observed in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and other cities of Sindh, with schools and business activities got closed by political workers.

In a renewed wave of terror, nearly 17 people were shot dead, over 30 people got injured and over 50 vehicles set ablaze in the past three days, following killings of a senior MQM and an ANP worker in the violence-ridden city.

Citizens in Pakistan's financial capital witnessed the worst day on March 27 when gunmen and arsonists went on the rampage, killing at least 13 people and setting dozens of vehicles alight.

The violence has been linked to tensions between two ruling parties – MQM and the Awami National Party (ANP). Both of them are PPP’s ally in the Sindh and central government.

Talking notice of the grim situation, President Asif Ali Zardari has called a high-level meeting of his party’s allies “to review law and order in the city”. The meeting would be attended by MQM and ANP leaders, sources said.

Separately, the Rangers kicked off a ‘targeted operation’ in different areas overnight, arresting dozens of suspects from Sheeren Jinnah Colony, Banaras, Machhar Colony and other tense parts of the city. SAMAA