KARACHI/JACOBABAD A complete strike was observed across the province including provincial capital on Saturday in response to a call given by the nationalist parties of Sindh against abolishing commissionerate system and revival of nazims-led local government system. All the cities and towns from Karachi to Kashmore, remained shut and public and private vehicles remained off the roads including on National Highway leading to other provinces. The Sindh Save Committee, comprising different nationalist parties including Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Tehreek and Jeay Sindh Mahaz had given shutterdown strike call, which simultaneously supported by all opposition parties, Awami National Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI-F, Awami Tehreek, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad, Sunni Tehreek, NPP and other political parties, civil society organisations, trade bodies and others. However, the Karachi Transport Ittehad had already announced not to bring the public transport on the roads on strike day, while all the commercial areas of metropolis also remained closed. The ANPs support to the call of nationalist parties led to the successful strike in the commercial hub of country, Karachi, which has been a victim of violence for last many years due to a number of reasons including political strife. All the commercial markets including Zainab Market, Zaibunisa Street, Empress Market and bazaars in Saddar Town which is a commercial hub of city, and other areas of metropolis including Tariq Road, Tower, Kimari, Lyari, Kharadar, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Nazimabad, Orangi and other areas remained shut due to strike call given by the nationalist parties. Meanwhile, nationalist parties including Awami Tehreek, Sindhiani Tehreek, Jeay Sindh Tehreek and other political parties staged protest rallies in different areas of the city, demanding of the PPP government to withdrew the ordinance of revival of nazims-led local government system in the province. Awami Tehreek workers led by advocate Mazhar Rohojo rallied from Numaish Chowrangi to Karachi Press Club and also staged sit-in on MA Jinnah Road. Besides that, a large number of workers of Jeay Sindh Tehreek led by its chairman Dr Safdar Sarki took out rally from Gulistan-e-Johar to Press Club. According to Safdar Sarki, when their rally reached at Allauddin Park, some miscreants attacked on the participants, in which two workers suffered bullet injuries. Complete shutterdown was also observed in all the cities and towns of Hyderabad, Mithi, Larkana, Nawabshah, Dadu, Badin, Nausheroferoze, Ghotki, Naudero, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shahdadkot, Qambar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Khairpur and other towns. Meanwhile, nationalist leaders including Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah of SUP, Dr Safadar Sarki of Jeay Sindh Tehreek and others, while addressing a press conference at Hyder Manzil in city, thanked the people of Sindh, who observed shutterdown strike in response to their call. They appealed the people of Sindh to get rid of ruling PPP as they believed that PPP had compromised over the interests of the Sindh. They demanded of the PPP government to give honour to the opinion of the people of Sindh, who expressed their verdict in form of shutting down all businesses and revive the commissionerate system immediately. They said they would hold national conference on August 21 in city to chalk out the future strategy. All the stakeholders including opposition parties except ruling PPP and MQM will be invited in the conference. Terming the successful strike as referendum against nazim-led local government system, they said PPP should restore the commissionerate system which was passed by the Sindh Assembly. They said that miscreants attacked the nationalist parties workers in Karachi and Hyderabad and their two workers embraced martyrdom in Hyderabad. They further said that people of Karachi, observing a peaceful strike, had rejected the politics of violence in city. Nationalist leaders blamed that government and MQM had used force to fail the strike call. They said 22 workers had been arrested by the police and 15 were injured in the province in various incidents. They said they would not hold talks with government until government withdrew the local government ordinance. Partial strike was observed in Mirpurkhas on the call of Nationalist organisations, while complete strike was observed at Mirwah Gorchani, Digri, Tando Jan Mohammad, Jhuddo and Kot Ghulam Mohammad. MAJinnah Road, Mirwah Road, Station Road, Municipal Shopping Centre, Police Shopping Centre, Cloth Market and Grain Market remained closed while Lalchandabad, Umerkot Road, Market Chowk, Gharibabad, Toorabad, Sir Syed Road, Iqbal Road, Satellite Town , Hameedpura Colony, Hirabad were open. Complete shutterdown strike was observed in Mirwah Gorchani, Digri, Tando Jan Mohammad, Jhuddo, Naokot and Kot Ghulam Mohammad Town and all the markets and shops were closed. Transport remained off the roads as result of which people had to face a lot of hardships to go to their destinations. Petrol pumps and CNG service centres were also closed in the city and motorists faced difficulties to get fuel. Strict security arrangements were made by SSP Mirpurkhas. Police personnel were deployed at main chowks, roads and entry and exit ways of the city to avert any untoward incident. On the call of nationalist parties, a complete shutterdown strike was observed in Jacobabad on Saturday. The traders expressed their solidarity with nationalist parties and kept their shops and trade centres shut. To protest division of Sindh and restoration of corrupt system of zila nazim in Sindh, the main trade centres, Shahi Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Quaid-e-Azam Road and Tower Road remained closed. The town presented deserted look and even the small shops, located at different Mohallas, also remained closed. The political parties JSQM, Front, JSM, PP Shaheed Bhutto took out protest rallies led by Mir Mola Bux Khoso (Front), Sardar Khalid Jhulan (JSM), Ali Lashari (STP), Nadeem Qureshi (PP Shaheed Bhutto), Zulfiqar Solangi (SUP), Nizam Mastoi and others. The rallies marching through the main roads of the town reached at Gadai Chowk where they held a Jalsa. The speakers while addressing the participants said they were thankful to traders and people for responding to their strike call. They said Sindhis were master of their lands and no one would be allowed to disintegrate Sindh. They demanded of the government to annul local government system and restore commissionerate system. Meanwhile, a complete shutterdown strike was also observed in all eight talukas of Khairpur district on the call of nationalist parties against abolition of commissionaires system in Sindh on the direction of MQM, on Saturday. As per details, the shutterdown strikes was observed in all eight talukas including Khairpur, Kingri, Gambat, Sobhodero, Tharimirwah, Faiz Gunj, Kotdiji and Naro. All business centres, shops, markets were completely shut down, transporters did not bring their vehicles on roads, while the government and private institutions also remained closed in the district. Separately, the lawyers also boycotted the court proceedings against government ordinance. The nationalist parries took out relies in different areas and their leaders addressed the gatherings and criticised the PPP government. They said the PPP government was ruling on Pakistan by the votes of Sindhi people and now they were working against their interests. The protesters also staged demonstration in front of DPO Khairpur office and blocked National Highway and burnt tyres and raised slogans against the PPP government. Six Khairpur police arrested six miscreants from different parts of the district. In Hyderabad, a complete strike was also observed on Saturday in response to shutterdown and wheel-jam strike call by nationalists throughout Sindh. Some miscreant resorted to firing in different areas of the district resulting in death of a person and injuring many others. Three vehicles were also set alight. Shopping centres, markets and main bazaars remained shut in Hyderabad and Qasimabad but bazaar and shops remained open in Latifabad. Traffic remained thin on the roads including Super Highway, National Highway and Induce Highway. Miscreant resorted to indiscriminate firing in Hyderabad killing Sindh Taraqi Passand Party activist Dilshahad Abro and injured his brother Zamir Abro and Ali Nawaz, Fasial, Imran, Shakir and some others. Miscreant torched bus on Super Highway. They had also set alight three vehicles on Friday night in Hyderabad, one of them of Radio Pakistan Hyderabad on Fatima Jinnah Road near state bank. Hyderabad police have arrested 30 activists of different nationalist parties including Mahzer Ali, Amir, Habib Ashiq, Mir Mohammed Farhan, Yasir Aftab and others. Police also recovered weapons from their possession and some stolen motorcycles. Workers of Sindh Taraqi passed party, Sindh United Party, Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Mahaz and others took out protest rallies in various areas of the city and marched on different roads and gathered at Hyderabad Press Club. They staged protest demonstration in favour of their demands. Meanwhile, complete shutterdown strike was also observed in Kotri, Jamshoro, Tando Jam, Tando Muhammad Khan and Tando Allahyar while all four universities of Jamshoro and Hyderabad districts including University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Mehran University of Sciences and Technology, Jamshoro, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro and Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam also remained closed, besides public and private sectors schools and colleges of Hyderabad. A complete shutterdown strike was also observed in Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Kandiaro, Mehrabpur and other towns of Naushahro Feroze against the Sindh Local Government Ordinance. The business centres remained completely shut. The activists of many nationalist parties staged rallies.