Strikers risk a maximum sentence of seven years by the special courts.
The amendments, which could potentially suppress all public opposition to government policies and actions, are the most bizarre of a series of undemocratic measures the government has come up with, insist critics. At odds with such policy is the fact that Prime Minister Sharif enjoys the largest democratic mandate in Pakistan's history. At least 700 political activists were arrested in Karachi in the run-up to the September 4 strike. Arrests were also made in other provinces, including the province of Omar Sailya, leader of the country's largest association for small traders. These actions resulted in the US State Department expressing concern.