KARACHI:
The police, following instructions from the provincial government, intervened to clear roadside sit-ins organized by the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen in several areas of the city.
The MWM was organizing protests against violence in Parachinar district of KP, however, the government’s decision to eradicate the sit-ins led to intense clashes between police and protesters that continued late into the night.
Due to the tense situation in the city, traffic flow on important highways and roads was severely affected, causing great difficulties to citizens.
Police used batons and tear gas to end the sit-ins and disperse protesters and say more than half a dozen officers and staff were injured by gunshots and stone throwing during the clashes. During the melee, unidentified persons set fire to several motorcycles at Numaish Chowrangi and Malir 15.
Meanwhile, when the police contingents came to disperse the sit-in participants on Abul Hasan Isfahani Street, they were greeted with a volley of stones, due to which some officials, including ASI Asim Siddiqui, in charge of the police post in the city of Abbas, were injured.
On the other hand, police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters in several areas of the city, including Johar Mor, Kamran Chowrangi and Nazimabad Rizvia Chowrangi.
Police took strategic steps to end the main sit-in by a religious group at Naumaish Chowrangi. The police ended the sit-in with batons and shelling. They seized mats, sound systems and other equipment.
Unknown persons set fire to four motorcycles at Naumaish Chowrangi and tires in adjoining areas, including Soldier Bazaar, and chanted slogans against ending the sit-in by force.
In Malir, two policemen, Niaz Khan and Zaigham, were injured in the firing by unidentified persons, Korangi district SSP Kamran Khan said. One of the injured received a gunshot wound to the neck and is in critical condition.
MWM sit-ins continue
Majlis-e-Wahdate-Muslimeen (MWM) has said that its sit-ins to express concern over the Parachinar crisis and support for the protesters in Parachinar continued on the eighth day on Tuesday.
MWM Sindh general secretary Allama Baqir Abbas Zaidi said the state used coercive tactics and force against peaceful protesters in sit-ins across the city, including at Numaish Chowrangi. He said police even opened fire on peaceful protesters without any provocation.
Zaidi said more than 24 protesters, including MWM leader Maulana Asghar Shaheedi, were arrested. MWM central leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi was also injured in the police shelling and hospitalized due to torture. According to MWM, the protests will continue in any case.
ASWJ sit-ins begin
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) organized sit-ins at 60 places in the port city on the instructions of party leaders Allama Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and Allama Aurangzeb Farooqui.
The sit-ins were completely peaceful, the ASWJ spokesperson said in a statement, adding that ambulances were allowed to pass and “people’s problems that arose during the sit-ins were resolved.”
ASWJ leaders demanded impartial military action to remove armed checkpoints set up by miscreants in the strife-torn KP district.
