KARACHI: A partial strike is being observed on Friday across Karachi calling for the arrest of the killers of renowned religious scholar Maulana Adil Khan.
The flow of traffic is below normal on the main streets and roads while many business centres and markets remain closed. The business community has supported the call for a peaceful strike as no untoward incident has been reported from any party
The strike has been given on the appeal of the Karachi Ulema Committee comprising of religious scholars from various schools of thought. Protests and rallies will be held by religious parties across the city after Friday prayers.
Maulana Adil Khan, the head of Jamia Farooqia, was shot dead along with his driver by unknown assailants last week in Karachi’s Shah Faisal area. Religious parties have announced a strike at the end of their 48-hour ultimatum given to the government for arresting the killers of the cleric.
Leaders of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl, Jamaat-i-Ishaat-e-Tauheed Wa Sunnah, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Sami, Tanzeemul Ulema Karachi, and other groups attended a meeting for consultation.
After the discussion, the religious scholars announced that a country-wide strike will be observed and protest held on Friday. They appealed to the people, traders and transporters to make the strike a success by keeping their businesses shut and vehicles off the road.
Leaders of religious parties in the press conference also criticised the Sindh government for withdrawing security from prominent religious scholars who have been facing threats. Meanwhile, the police investigators remained clueless about the perpetrators of the high profile targeted killing of the prominent religious scholar.
Earlier, Chief of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at and a member of ulema committee Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi has informed that the nation-wide strike will be observed “We have been assured of support by scholars of all schools of thought, transporters, trade unions, and educational institutions,” he said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.
Maulana Aurangzeb further said that rumours were being spread that Ulema Committee had canceled the strike after meeting Additional IG Ghulam Nabi Memon.He also expressed reservations over the investigation of the attack on Maulana Adil, saying that said the government has failed to arrest the killers of the religious cleric.
Sindh Traders Alliance President Jameel Paracha has announced that they will keep businesses shut across the province to support the Ulema Committee’s strike.
