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. Earlier, on Thursday, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah appealed to religio-political parties to call off Friday's strike and categorically declared that the government was not bringing any bill to amend the blasphemy law.