First day of mourning call leaves city paralysed

February 07, 2010
By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: The city witnessed a gloomy Saturday following the Chehlum bomb blasts at Shahrah-e-Faisal and the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Friday.

The city wore a deserted look on the first day of the three-day mourning, while citizens faced difficulties to carry out routine work.All the major markets in the main city areas, including North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Karachi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, PIB Colony, Liaquatabad, New MA Jinnah Road, Bolton Market and Saddar, were closed except a portion near the Empress Market and a small area of the Burns Road Food Street.Above all, certain food charity centres in the Hyderi Market, Jama Cloth Market, Saddar and Water Pump areas also remained closed due to which around 30,000 street children could not benefit from free food.

Public transport was absent from the roads, while the majority of petrol and CNG filling stations were also closed, causing difficulties to private vehicle owners.

The City District Government Karachi’s CNG bus service was also suspended.Schools, colleges and universities were off the schedule in attendance and studies, while attendance at public offices remained thin.Certain rural outskirts and spatial settlements in the city, such as Pathan Colony, Qasba Morr, Machhar Colony, Baldia Town, Orangi Town, Tin Hatti, Gujjar Nullah, Paposh Nagar, Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony, Akhtar Colony and Keamari, were less affected by the closure of markets, as essential commodities were available from small shops within these localities.

However, majority of the daily-wage labourers, who live in these localities, were greatly affected, as they could not go out to work and earn to feed their families.

Moreover, the daily-wagers of the shops in the city’s markets were also deprived of the necessary resources for livelihood.

The closure of markets, public transport, and petrol and CNG filling stations inflicted the national exchequer a colossal loss of revenue.

As per Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association chairman Abdul Sami Khan, petrol and CNG sale on Friday was only 30 percent of the usual due to Chehlum and Kashmir Day, while the sale decreased to 20 percent on Saturday. He estimated a loss of around Rs 12 billion to the national exchequer with regard to only POL items.

LINK: http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\02\07\story_7-2-2010_pg12_7