As sit-ins continued across the country on Saturday against the killings in Parachinar in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, traffic obstacles persisted for residents of Karachi, where the protests entered their fifth day.
The religious political party Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) had called for protests throughout the country to express its solidarity with the people of Parachinar, who have also been carrying out a sit-in since December 20 against the law and order situation and against road closures.
The protests began after an incident in which two people were killed and then beheaded after being assaulted on their way to Parachinar in Bagan area of Kurram.
Multiple sit-ins organized in response to the call of the MWM continued in Karachi today for the fifth consecutive day, with the blockade of several important roads leading to city-wide traffic disorder in all seven districts and causing hardship to the people.
The MWM had expanded its protests to almost all of Karachi on Thursday and as of 10 pm on Friday, demonstrations were taking place at 12 locations in the metropolis. Today, one more point was added to the list, according to a statement from the Karachi Traffic Police.
The sit-ins continued on the main MA Jinnah road near Numaish, on Abul Hasan Ispahani road near Abbas Town, at Five Star Chowrangi in north Nazimabad, on University Road near Samama mall, on Sharea main road Faisal near from Star Gate, at Korangi and on the main national highway near Malir. 15, Shamsuddin Azimi Road in Surjani town, Shahrah-i-Pakistan near Ancholi, Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road near Nazimabad No 1, the main national highway near Steel Town and the Power House roundabout in northern Karachi, according to officials, witnesses and organizers.
According to an update issued by the Karachi Traffic Police on its However, the road on the other side was closed.
Yesterday the traffic police had diverted vehicle traffic to alternative routes, but long queues of cars, trucks, trailers, etc. could be seen on almost all the streets of the city until late into the night.
On the other hand, the MWM Lahore wing – including Vice President Allama Ahmad Iqbal Rizvi, Punjab President Allama Akbar Ali Kazmi and Lahore President Najam Khan – has been holding a protest in front of the Lahore Press Club since last week.
In Rawalpindi, the Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqh-i-Jafariya (TNFJ) Regional Council organized a protest rally from Liaquat Bagh Chowk to Committee Chowk on Murree Road on Friday.
At the call of TNFJ chief Allama Agha Syed Hussain Maqdisi, ‘Martyrs and Oppressed Day’ was celebrated in Rawalpindi to condemn the deterioration and extremely dire situation. Protest meetings were held at central mosques across the country after Friday prayers.
Stemming from decades-old land disputes, deadly tribal clashes began last month following an attack on a convoy that killed 52 passengers and has claimed at least 130 lives since last month.
Residents of Kurram have reported shortages of food and medicine, and have claimed that dozens of children have died as a result. So far, a total of 613 people have been airlifted from the district after the KP government launched a helicopter service.
