- Central protest organized at Numaish Chowrangi, says traffic police.
- Traffic on the closed roads is diverted along alternative routes.
- Sindh Governor sends helicopter with relief goods to Kurram.
KARACHI: Sit-ins by a political-religious party in Karachi entered the third day on Saturday, causing major traffic disruptions and inconvenience to commuters due to closure of major roads.
Demonstrations continued at more than ten places in the city for the third consecutive day, as Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) staged sit-ins against the worsening crisis in Parachinar, Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Providing an update on the traffic situation, Karachi Traffic Police informed that the central protest is taking place at Numaish Chowrangi. Other arteries facing closures include both lanes of Abul Hasan Isphani Road opposite Abbas Town and University Road near Samama Mall.
Meanwhile, a sit-in was also held at Five Star Chowrangi in north Nazimabad.
Meanwhile, the Sharea Faisal Bridge from Malir to Natha Khan was closed, however, traffic was restored on the city-bound side starting from the bridge. The protesters also blocked the dual carriageway near the Malir 15 bridge.
Besides, sit-ins were also reported at Surjani Town Road, Shahra-e-Pakistan near Ancholi, Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar and Nazimabad No 1, leading to suspension of vehicular traffic.
The National Highway near Township was completely closed and a protest at Powerhouse Chowrangi further aggravated the city’s traffic woes.
The traffic police have been redirecting vehicles to alternative routes to ease congestion.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah appealed to the protesters to avoid causing hardship to the people and said, “Blocking roads in Karachi and Sukkur will not resolve the Parachinar issue.”
The protests arise from the deteriorating security situation in Parachinar, where clashes have led to more than 130 deaths since November, the point of recent escalation of the conflict between two tribal groups.
Reports also suggest that more than 100 children have died due to medicine shortages, although KP government spokesperson, lawyer Muhammad Ali Saif, has denied these claims.
Parachinar, situated in Kurram, is a tribal district near the Afghan border with a population of around 600,000. It has long been a focus of conflict.
The recent clashes have sparked a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of medicine and oxygen exacerbated by the closure of the highway connecting Parachinar to Peshawar.
In a relief effort, the Sindh governor’s office announced that a helicopter carrying medical supplies and other aid had arrived in Parachinar. These provisions were sent on the directive of the Sindh Governor to address the growing crisis.
