Sindh announces May 12 as public holiday

KARACHI - The Sindh government has announced public holiday in the province on May 12 to mark the day as Day of Mourning for those who lost their lives during tragic incidents of May 12, two years ago, when the Chief Justice of Pakistan had come to Karachi to address the Sindh High Court Bar and there were riots in the City.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah made this announcement at a Press conference held at the CM House here on Saturday.
He said that Pakistan Peoples Party had suffered the most in May 12 tragedy so it was decided to observe the day of mourning on May 12. There will be public holiday in the province but no strike. Law and order should not be disturbed as the disturbance in Karachi affects rest of the country, he maintained.
Flanked by Sindh Food Minister Nadir Magsi, Information Minister Shazia Marri, Advisor to CM Rashid Rabbani and Special Assistant to CM Waqar Mehdi, the CM said that although both ANP and MQM had given strike call for May 12, yet the fact was that PPP was the major sufferer.
He said that Section 144 had already been imposed in the province for one month so it should be respected and the fears of the people should also be allayed.
Shah hoped that instead of giving it the colour of strike, everyone would observe it as a day of mourning and for this purpose all the parties would hold Fateha and Quran Khawani at their levels and remember those who had lost their lives.
The chief minister urged the coalition partners in Sindh to observe the Day of Mourning as not the strike day, adding that government was concerned about the off shoot of Northern Areas and FATA.
He said after the April 29 incident that had cost 30 innocent lives, the PM had flown to Karachi and held meeting with both MQM and ANP to maintain harmony in the province.
When asked whether the government had taken its allies into confidence or consulted them regarding public holiday, Shah said that he had informed them through media and called upon them to observe the day of mourning. Being a province-wide holiday the examinations on that day would also be postponed by the Education Boards.
When asked whether extra security measures would be taken on May 12, he said that throughout the province and especially in Karachi the law enforcing agencies including police and rangers would be on roads in full strength and rangers would on patrolling. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law and law will take its course if situation is created, he added.
When asked whether the IG Police Sindh and CCPO Karachi would be replaced, he said that it had been declared in an unequivocal term that both would continue to work here.
When asked whether the judicial inquiry would be conducted into April 29 incident, Shah said that inquiry was going on. However, if needed, the judicial inquiry would be held after cabinet decision.