Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Sunni Tehreek (ST), and Awami National Party (ANP) have announced their disassociation with the strike call given by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) for Friday.
The PML-N had held an All Parties Conference (APC) on Thursday regarding the strike call, which was attended by a number of political, religious parties, including MMA, transporters, and lawyers.
The ST, PPP, ANP and transporters' bodies, who also appeared at the APC expressed their reservations and announced detachment with the strike call. It may be mentioned here that the MMA has announced to observe strike on June 15 against the killing of a senior activist of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and Muttahida Talaba Mahaz President Wasif Aziz and deteriorating law and order situation in he city.
Besides, the PML-N also announced to observe strike on Friday, against the killing of their activist, Hashmat Bangash, load shedding in Karachi, and anti-people budget. However, major political parties appearing in the APC and transporters bodies did not extend their support.
Rashid Rabbani of PPP told Business Recorder that the PML-N did not take them into confidence and announced the strike at their own instead from the platform of ARD. He said that the issue should have been taken to the ARD, as they both were its part.
Rabbani said that since the PML-N had given the call without their consultation there was no need of staging the drama of APC and added that there was no support on the part of PPP in favour of the strike.
Zahid Rafiq Butt of PML-N commenting on the issue said that the reservations posed by PPP were just a lame excuse, adding that PPP had been reluctant to join any activity against the government because of the obvious reasons.
Amin Khattak of ANP expressing similar views about the APC said that PML-N called the APC after announcing the strike, which was not the manner. The decision should have been taken after the consultations at the conference. He, however, said the ANP did not oppose the strike call, but they were not with them and there was no support on their part.
Meanwhile, the transporters of Karachi expressing their detachment with June 15 strike call have announced that they will not participate in the strike call and all kinds of vehicles will be running on roads.
A delegation of transporters led by Chairman of Karachi Transport Ittehad, Syed Irshad Hussain Bukhari, President Karachi Goods Carrier Association, Khalid Khan and President of Sindh Goods Truck Trailers Owners Association, Alhaj Malik Ahmed Khan called on Nazim Karachi Mustafa Kamal on Thursday and assured that they would not participate in the strike.