- MWM sit-in camp in Numaish demolished by police.
- The police fire tear gas and change batons at the protesters.
- Several protesters arrested after clashes in Numaish.
KARACHI: After multiple clashes with protesters, Karachi police finally launched an offensive to clear roads as the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) continued its sit-ins at various locations in the country’s economic hub for the eighth consecutive day on Tuesday. . .
The protesters pelted stones at the police, set fire to their six motorcycles and a checkpoint at Numaish Chowrangi, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells and baton-charge a religious-political party activist who was staging a sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi in MA Jinnah Road.
The police also demolished the central sit-in camp of the MWM set up at Numaish Chowrangi. Law enforcement also detained several protesters and took them to the police station.
Quickly taking notice of the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that no one would be allowed to damage public and private property under any circumstances.
Legal action will be taken against those who set vehicles on fire, the Prime Minister promised.
He said: “Everyone has the right to protest, but damaging civilian property is damage.”
The political-religious party has organized sit-ins in the metropolis against the Parachinar crisis, despite warnings from the government. The prolonged protests not only damaged the country’s economy but also disrupted daily life in the metropolis as people were unable to travel freely.
Apart from Numaish Chowrangi, protests were taking place near Safari Park on University Road, Kamran Chowrangi, Lasbela and Abbas Town.
At Kamran Chowrangi, more police force was called in as the situation became tense this morning due to continued blocking of roads.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East and Sindh Rangers personnel reached the spot to end the sit-in but in vain.
Additionally, sit-in participants at Karman Chowrangi set up tents, while police attempted to negotiate with protesters, who refused to end the sit-in and open roads.
Earlier in the day, protests at Five Star Chowrangi, Shamsuddin Azeemi Road, Surjani Town, Ancholi and Golimar Chowrangi were called off to clear roads for commuters.
Whereas, the police removed the obstructions and dispersed the protesters from Abul Hassan Isphani road after a brief period of clashes with the protesters.
The Sindh CM, addressing the media in Thatta, said that last night the provincial government had asked the protesters to hold the protest at one place without disturbing other citizens.
However, he said, they fell short of their commitment to end the citywide protests. The Sindh CM said the ongoing sit-ins at four more places would be eliminated through administrative action and talks.
“We are not against peaceful protests, but they have harmed people,” he said.
The provincial government also sent relief items to Parachinar, he said, adding that the Parachinar issue would be resolved in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, not here.
Murad said the government was taking action against the sit-ins that could anger some people. “It is the responsibility of the government to address the problem if ordinary men have problems,” he said.
Last night, the MWM and a delegation from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) addressed the media after a meeting on the ongoing protests and sit-ins across the city.
PPP leader Saeed Ghani expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of the victims of the Parachinar tragedy, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the incident and extend our condolences to the families of the martyrs.”
Paying tribute to the resilience of the women and children who participated in the protests, the PPP leader commented: “We salute their bravery.”
And he added: “You have the right to protest.” However, he urged sit-in protest organizers to limit their demonstrations to one location.
On the occasion, AIG Javed Alam also spoke to the media. According to him, additional security personnel have been deployed across the city to ensure the safety of the sit-ins.
MWM leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi said: “We respect their opinion.” However, he noted that at the moment it is not possible to give a definitive answer, since each sit-in has different organizers.
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, which broke out in November, have killed at least 130 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of medicine and oxygen compounded by the closure of the highway connecting Parachinar with Peshawar.
