Updated on
Summary
A countrywide strike was being held on Friday on the call of religious parties against any proposed amendments in the blasphemy law. In Karachi, no public transport was available and commuters were facing difficulties.The strike was also being observed in Lahore, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Quetta, Kashmore, Hazara division and Kandhkot. Protest rallies and demonstrations were being carried out against any proposed amendments to the blasphemy law. In Karachi, protestors demonstrating on the Mauripur road blocked the intersection and suspended traffic. A rally was taken out from Sherein Jinnah Colony in Karachi which was taken to Bilawal House but it was stopped at Bilawal Chorangi. Police resorted to tear gas to disperse the protesters.Earlier, on Thursday, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah appealed to religio-political parties to call off Fridays strike and categorically declared that the government was not bringing any bill to amend the blasphemy law.Shah said that after his categorical statement on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday an attempt to bring people on the street by exploiting religion was detrimental to the countrys interest.He alleged that those agitating on the issue were exploiting religion for ulterior motives.The strike call was given by the Namoos-i-Risalat conference held recently under the auspices of Majlis-i-Tahafuz-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat.
