The call for a nationwide strike on Friday, January 1, 2010, given by several religious and political parties and councils to protest the Ashura carnage and arson in Karachi could have hardly come at a worse time. Dozens lost their lives and limbs in the suicide bombing (?) claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (?) – there are question marks on both accounts because the police have not confirmed either. Moreover, thousands of families were deprived of their livelihoods owing to the arson attacks on businesses that followed the bombing as law-enforcement personnel reportedly looked on. Now it seems that we are also bent on denying the daily wage-earners their livelihoods by calling for a shutter down and a wheel-jam.
Where has reason gone? Is this the ideal way to start the New Year after all the grief and loss that people have suffered in 2009? Do you support the call for the strike? Or do you think the country’s financial capital should resume normal functioning as soon as possible?
Murtaza Razvi is the Editor, Magazines, at Dawn.
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Definitely a no reason for Strike. Would this help the one’s whose life and properties have been damaged or lost in the arson and carnage?
Other than that we should have had a solidarity day with the one’s who are in mourning.
Strike is not the answer it’s basically playing in the hands of terrorist.
I think more appropriate way is to demonstrate on roads for a fixed & predefined time that should not plunge others into troubles like traffic jam and to make realize the sitting monarch that ground realities are very adverse. And we should demonstrate until Govt. really become aware of situation. I think authorities are not making sincere efforts to tackle with the circumstances. Making a long day strike is to say Good Bye to a lot of financial opportunities that will further make the situation unfavorable. We can see result of many strikes observed after such many countless events. After each such event some Govt. officials came and made mighty pledges which are still unattended. So, we as a nation have to consider our responsibility to speak out for rights of citizens & maintaining the peace of country.
I do not support this strike just like the majority of the people on here. However, I feel that this forum does not represent the voice of the whole nation as the people who actually are in favor of it are mostly illiterate and are not computer savvy. Hence, their opinions are not reflected here. So, We may as well bang our heads on the wall and they wont even know about it.
Strike is not a good idea. But it appears to be a way to vent out the public anger generated due to total apathy shown by government in protecting the lives and properties of ordinary citizens.
Government should offer grants/loans to all affected businessmen and workers to normalize their lives.
Large public gatherings and processions should be banned in the economic and commercial zones of Karachi.
NO. Not in million years.
Strike will never solve any problem. Only way out is to unite, work hard honestly stop
wasting time, help one an other sincerely.
Hatred in any form will damage oneself. To progress one should educate and rise above all petty matters and think high.
NO!
The only people affected are daily bread winners.
Totally agree with Ballu Ballu that “Strike will add another coffin in already marginalized Pakistan economy.”
How about doing the complete opposite? Work an extra day or two or more. Holding a strike in this case is helping the bombing become more successful.
No, I don’t support this strike. These strikes will have no effect on our politicians rather it will only deprive the daily wagers from their livelihood for one more day.
I support your thinking.
I would like to say that it’s useless to have strike because by strike we are damaging our own economy. Already we have loss billions of rupees in past few days and now by having strike we are playing with our country’s economy.
Starting a new year with a strike, is this by which we can make our country more developed. If yes so we should make practice of having strikes on regular basis. But a sensible person would always be against it.
No I don’t support this. And btw what will it prove. This is no way to welcome a new year. We should work harder to show the enemies of Pakistan that we won’t stop and would rise!
What a way to start a new year with a strike.
I support the unity and yes I support the strike as well, if the strike is observed in a way that we do not hit the economy of Pakistan further and if we do not shut down the stove of poors
This act of terror should be fought by showing solidarity to the ones who have suffered and lost so much. Instead of calling in for a strike to get nothing accomplished, we should come out in unity and give a needed helping hand to so many. Unfortunately, we believe that the government is responsible for “everything” which goes around us. Indeed, the government is responsible for maintaining our infra structure but we should as a nation and as a citizen should rise up to the plate and show the long overdue citizenship. In my opinion it is not the time for creating further paralysis of our system, hence, calling in for a strike is at best a futile expression of dissent.
A strike is utterly and absolutely futile; in fact it is more detrimental than anything, especially in the face of an already crippled economy. What a melodramatic way to usher in a new year!! Will it in any way constructively root out terrorism, or discourage the trouble makers? More likely than not, it serves the cause of those who wish ill to the country, and thrive in the discord and anarchy that already prevails.
A heinous crime has been committed. CCTV coverage has shown the police as collaborative bystanders to the whole episode which clearly shows who was behind this great tragedy as was the case on numerous previous occasions. We can only progress if stop being paranoid and stop being a hostage to these terrorist linguistic groups who do not let go of any opportunity to intimidate / harass the people of Karachi. I whole heartedly support this strike call as well as immediate inquiry / decision by the newly independent judiciary.
I know nations in which the worst catastrophe will result in one minute’s solemn silence in memory of those lost.
The one day strike puts the whole system one day behind in all walks our life activities including economic, production, services etc. We will loose one day earnings and living needs. The one day loss suffered by most of us can not be recovered. We already suffered the loss of life and property.
We must learn to live in peace with each other. Instead of calling strikes we shall wake up and call for peace, respect and equality among us all. So long we will remain divided in groups and fight for power we are going no where.
Karachi has seen too many strikes over the years, and each one had brought more and more miseries to this hapless city.
Strike serves no purpose except to deprive people of earning income. Those who call for such strikes don’t have to go out to earn a living. Pakistani leaders have a habit of calling for strikes as if there is no other option to resolve conflicts. If strikes served any purpose then Pakistan would have been on a continuous strike for many years.
I do not support today’s strike because people are also depriving due to poverty, shortage of food and inflation. Instead of helping them some leaders have called on peaceful strike for gaining political means.
More than 44 innocent people died due to Terrorist attack – The First strike. In response arson attack thousands of innocent people lost their valuable assets, affected directly and indirectly thousands more – The Second strike. Now politics time, they call for countrywide shutter down on Friday must be affected millions innocent people – The Third strike. Is it the solution?
Strike is not a solution to all this!
If all the businesses on M.A Jinnah Road could get together and cooperate with each other to help then they would stand a better chance of surviving the traumas that Pakistan is going through.
Do not strike. It is not benefiting anyone.