Activists and leaders of the main religious political party, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), have said they will continue sit-ins across Karachi after talks with police and city officials collapsed on Sunday.
The six-day sit-ins blocked major roads to protest the Parachinar killings, demanding measures including the reopening of a road in Parachinar, closed for 90 days, to ensure access to essential food and medicine, according to police. transit and organizers.
Protesters are protesting the ongoing violence in Parachinar as well as an incident in which two people were killed and then beheaded after being assaulted on their way to Parachinar in Bagan area of Kurram.
On Sunday night, Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho and Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi held talks with MWM leader Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi and others at Numaish Chowrangi.
When contacted, the commissioner told Dawn.com that negotiations are “in progress.” MWM spokesperson Syed Ali Ahmer Zaidi also confirmed the talks between party leaders and authorities but did not share the outcome.
However, soon after the talks appeared to fail, as the head of the MWM declared in a statement that the sit-ins would continue.
“If we call sit-ins all over Sindh, the government will not be able to stop them,” Naqvi said. However, the MWM chief maintained that the sit-in participants had “opened a path” for traffic to pass through the arteries.
“We have spoken with the administration about the sit-ins,” he added. “Protesters have occupied fixed points in different protests throughout the city and have left spaces open to traffic.
“The sit-ins will continue,” Naqvi said.
Today, the continuous blockade of major arteries such as Sharea Faisal, University Road and Sharea Pakistan, among others, led to traffic jams, causing inconvenience to commuters using alternative roads, mostly single-lane vehicles.
MWM spokesperson Zaidi said dawn.com that his party has “ended the sit-in on a road on Sharea Faisal Main Street, near Star Gate, for the convenience of passengers of domestic and international flights and to deal with any eventuality.”
He added that protesters had also provided “space” for vehicular traffic on other major roads, where shops and other commercial activities were taking place.
“Our main demands concerned the opening of roads in Parachinar to provide food and medicine to residents, and the operation against the killers who killed passengers traveling in 100 buses while security personnel fled,” Zaidi said.
He added that the demands also included provision of compensation to heirs of victims, settlement of land disputes through Jirgas, reforms in police and FC, and dismissal of local police and district administration officials. that they failed to control the murders there.
Traffic situation and alternative routes.
According to a statement from the Karachi Traffic Police, sit-in protests continued on Sunday at at least 12 locations in the provincial capital, where alternative routes were provided to citizens to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams.
Late on Sunday night, the traffic police issued an alert stating that both roads from Johar Mor to Johar Chowrangi were closed due to a sit-in.
“Traffic coming from Johar Morr towards Johar Chowrangi is diverted directly towards Napa and traffic coming from Johar Chowrangi is diverted from Perfume Chowk and returns to Johar Chowrangi,” the notice said.
In the eastern district, the main MA Jinnah road near Numaish Chowrangi remained closed where alternative diversions have been provided from People’s Chowrangi towards Guru Mandir and Soldier Bazaar, from Society signal to Corridor Three, Bretto Road towards Soldier Bazaar and Guru Mandir.
Another main road, Sharea Faisal near Star Gate, also remained closed towards Malir Road. The traffic police said alternative routes have been provided from Karsaz, Drigh Road, Millennium Mall and Jauhar Chowrangi towards Pehlwan Goth to go to the airport.
Residents of Malir, Korangi Industrial Area, Clifton and Defense who intend to go to the airport can use Singer Chowrangi to Shah Faisal Colony, Rita Plot and Shama Shopping Center to Shah Faisal Colony Bridge.
Kamran Chworangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar was closed for traffic where diversions have been provided from Mosmiyat to University Road and interior roads from Munawar Chowrangi.
University Road towards Samama Mall and Nipa Roundabout has been closed at Metro Mall where diversions from roads/service roads have been provided within residential areas.
In Malir district, both lanes of Abul Hasan Ispahani Road towards the highway remained closed from Abbas Town, where diversions have been planned for traffic from Paradise Bakery to Fariya Chowk and inner roads and Rangers’ Cut to Punjab Ada (stop of bus) on the highway.
In Central district, Five Star Chowrangi was completely closed and service roads were declared as alternative routes for traffic.
Sharea Pakistan towards Sohrab Goth was closed from Ancholi. The traffic police asked citizens to use Water Pump Chowrangi towards Cardio Hospital and Gulberg Chowrangi as a detour.
Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan Road Chowrangi in Nazimabad-1 towards Nazimabad-2 remained closed for traffic, where traffic from Lasbela was diverted towards Teen Hatti.
Power House Chowrangi in Nagan towards 4-K Fazal Illahi Road was closed for traffic where citizens were plying vehicles on the service road near Shell Pump cut-off while another lane of the road was opened for traffic.
All four sides of the main Ayesha Manzil Bridge near Imambargah were closed to traffic and citizens were asked to use the Ayesha Manzil Bridge.
In the western district, Shamsuddin Azeemi Road towards KDA Flats in Surjani town remained closed to traffic where it has been diverted from the Total Petrol pump to the service road.
In Korangi district, the road at Korangi 2 ½ near Imambangah towards Landhi was closed to traffic as traffic was moving on a double lane.
On the other hand, Ahmed Nawaz Cheema told DIG Traffic dawn.com that protest sit-ins in a dozen places in the metropolis continued on Sunday.
He said a road was opened from Sharea Faisal towards the city while people heading towards the airport and Malir used Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Shah Faisal Colony respectively.
The city’s traffic police chief feared that if the sit-ins continued on Monday, it could lead to further traffic chaos, as Monday was the first day of the week, where traffic flow normally remains high. , while people who went on vacation during the winter will likely return to the city, increasing the volume of traffic on the roads.
Not all road closures marked on the map are necessarily related to the protests. They include the latest data collected by Google Maps on road blockades for all purposes, including construction, security, protests, etc.
