Several roads in Karachi were reopened for traffic on Tuesday as sit-ins across the city against the recent killings in Parachinar, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District, eased after police warnings.
The religiopolitical Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) had given a country-wide call of protests to express solidarity with the people of Parachinar, who have also been staging a sit-in since December 20 against the law and order situation as well as road closures.
The demonstrators are protesting the ongoing violence in Kurram as well as an incident where two people were killed and later decapitated after being waylaid on their way towards Parachinar in the district’s Bagan area.
As the sit-ins continued for the eighth consecutive day in Karachi, the roads at six different locations — out of 13 where they were being held yesterday — had been reopened for vehicles after the protests ended, according to a traffic update shared by the Karachi Traffic Police.
The six locations that are now clear for traffic include Jauhar Mor heading to Jauhar Chowrangi; Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad; Shamsuddin Azeemi Road towards KDA Flats in Surjani Town; Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road in Nazimabad-1 going towards Nazimabad-2; and Ancholi and Ayesha Manzil on Shahrah-i-Pakistan.
However, the traffic police said the protests continued at four different points across the city.
At Abbas Town in District Malir, both tracks of Abul Hasan Ispahani Road towards Superhighway remained closed, where diversions have been provided for traffic from Paradise Bakery to Fariya Chowk and inside streets and from Rangers’ Cut to a service lane heading to Punjab Adda (bus stand).
In District East, the M.A. Jinnah Road near Numaish Chowrangi remained closed where alternative diversions from Capri Cinema to Soldier Bazaar and Saddar Dawa Khana have been provided.
Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar was also closed, with vehicles from Mosmiyat directed towards University Road and the inner streets from Munawar Chowrangi.
University Road going towards Samama Shopping Centre and Nipa roundabout was closed at the Metro Safari Store, where diversions were provided from streets inside residential areas.
Speaking to Dawn.com, MWM spokesperson Syed Ali Ahmer Zaidi alleged that the police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton-charge at “10 places — including Abbas Town, Power House and Kamran Chowrangi” — and got the roads cleared.
However, he added, the sit-ins at three locations were continuing, namely at Numaish Chowrangi, Ancholi and Rizvia Society. He criticised what he called “state tyranny against peaceful protesters”.
Earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah confirmed that “administrative action” was taken against protesters at some locations to get the roads cleared and reopened for traffic.
The city police chief had claimed that the blocked roads in the metropolis would be cleared of protests by yesterday evening, clarifying later that he meant they would be organised in a way that does not disrupt the traffic flow.
Subsequently, MWM leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi asked protesters to keep one track open of the roads where sit-ins were being held for the smooth flow of traffic. However, he made it clear that these sit-ins would continue until the blocked roads in Kurram were reopened.
A spokesperson for the MWM had stated that the sit-in on the main Sharea Faisal near Natha Khan Bridge had been ended to facilitate people’s movement.
Protests ended at 8 points out of 12: Sindh CM
Meanwhile, CM Shah said protests at a total of eight locations had ended so far, noting that they were being held at 12 points till Monday night.
Addressing a press conference in Thatta, CM Shah said: “The sit-ins are still continuing at four points. We are talking to them, and also taking some administrative action where needed, which may also upset people.”
He further said, “Now at the four places that are left [to be cleared], we will clear the protests by talking to them and administrative action.”
The chief minister recalled that negotiations with the MWM went on till late night yesterday, highlighting that they were even offered to hold a single protest without disrupting traffic flow.
He stressed that “distressing other people” was not the solution to the crisis ongoing in Kurram for over a month.
Outlawed ASWJ begins counter-protests
Separately, the outlawed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) began its counter-protests at at least two locations in Karachi today.
This came a day after the group’s announcement yesterday that it would stage sit-ins at 60 locations across the city starting today.
According to ASWJ spokesperson Umar Muavia, the group had began a protest sit-in on Sharea Faisal, while another was reported at Qayyumabad.