The Karachi commissioner has imposed section 144 in the central district of the city that will last until Saturday after multiple recent incidents of heavy vehicles that are inclined together with the attacks of the mafia in several outflows of global fast food chains.
At least nine Dumper trucks and water oil tankers were burned by the mobs on the night of April 9, near Power House Chowrangi and 4-K Chowrangi after a truck driver hit a motorcyclist, wounded him. Subsequently, 19 suspects and alleged incendiary were arrested and reserved under terrorism and other positions.
Meanwhile, the city has also witnessed a wave of mafia attacks against overall fast food chain exits, which led religious leaders to urge the public to avoid violence and vandalism while boycotting products in support of Gaza.
In a notification dated April 11, the Karachi commissioner, Syed Hassan Naqvi, said that a complete prohibition had been imposed in “all forms of protests, demonstrations, sitting, demonstrations and assemblies of more than five people at the point of central district” for today.
Section 144 is a legal provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) that allows district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
The “same group” was behind the April 9 incident of heavy vehicles that caught fire and the “attempt to attack the KFC departures and other international brands,” said the notification, citing a report by the Senior Central Police Superintendent.
According to the notification, five information reports (FIR) had registered on the incidents.
He pointed out that “they are scheduled for additional manifestations” today in the Central District, noting that the area “remains highly sensitive and susceptible to greater disturbances of laws and order.”
“The situation guarantees immediate action, since there are sufficient reasons to proceed under section 144 CRPC to maintain the law and order and avoid any adversary incident,” Naqvi said.
In addition, he said that the relevant officers of the house of the station (SHO) in the area were also authorized to register complaints under section 188 (disobedience to the order duly promulgated by the public servant) of the Pakistan Criminal Code (PPC) against those who violate the prohibition.
The commissioner recalled that the additional inspector of the Police Javed Akhtar Ode had also requested the imposition of section 144 in his letter dated April 11.
The prohibition occurs following the attacks in at least three restaurants in Karachi between April 7 and April 9, and another frustrated April 10. Police said they had reserved and arrested 10 Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists for one of the incidents.
Other parts of Sindh also witnessed attacks such as criminals set up a restaurant in Mirpurkhas on Tuesday night and threw stones at a KFC exit in Larkana the next day.
In the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) of Lahore, dozens of people threw stones at a fast food chain on Wednesday, breaking the floors and damaging some of their portions.
Yesterday, great demonstrations were organized throughout the country in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and condemn Israel’s devastating military campaign in the enclave in the middle of the number of deaths in the mistreated territory that increases to 50,912.
More to follow
