Political party calls off Karachi strike
2013-03-06 21:12
Karachi - A powerful political party in Pakistan's
largest city is backing down from calls for a city-wide strike intended to
pressure the government to arrest militants behind a bombing in a Shi’ite
Muslim neighbourhood that killed 48 people on Sunday.
Raza Haroon, a lawmaker from the Muttahida Qaumi
Movement, on Wednesday appealed to the city's business community to observe an
indefinite strike.
Then hours later he told reporters they were withdrawing
the strike after the city's business community lobbied against it.
The MQM is the dominant political party in Karachi, which
is Pakistan's economic hub.
An extended strike could have negatively affected the
rest of Pakistan.
No one has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.
Sunni militant groups who don't believe Shi’ites are true
Muslims have claimed responsibility for similar incidents.
- AP
