As sit-ins across the country continued on Saturday against killings in Parachinar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, traffic hurdles remained for residents of Karachi, where protests entered their fifth day.
The religiopolitical Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) had given a country-wide call of protests to express solidarity with the people of Parachinar, who have also been staging a sit-in since December 20 against the law and order situation as well as road closures.
The demonstrations began after an incident where two people were killed and later decapitated after being waylaid on their way towards Parachinar in Kurram’s Bagan area.
Multiple sit-ins organised on MWM’s call continued in Karachi for the fifth consecutive day today, with the blockade of several important thoroughfares leading to a citywide traffic mess in all seven districts and causing hardship to people.
Protests also continued in Kurram for an eighth day, a Dawn.com correspondent reported.
In Karachi, the MWM had expanded its protests to almost the entire city by Thursday and by 10pm on Friday, demonstrations were being held at 12 locations across the metropolis. One more point was added to the list today, according to a statement by the Karachi Traffic Police.
The sit-ins continued on the main M. A. Jinnah Road near Numaish, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town, Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad, University Road near Samama Shopping Centre, main Sharea Faisal near Star Gate, Korangi, 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, main National Highway near Steel Town, and the Power House roundabout in North Karachi, according to officials, witnesses, and organisers.
According to an update issued by the Karachi Traffic Police on their X, the main Sharea Faisal going towards the city from the Kala Chapra road was opened for traffic. However, the road on the other side was shut.
However, an update from the Traffic Police said that traffic flow on Drigh Road was “slow” due to Sharea Faisal being closed.
“Traffic is slow at … the Karsaz side of Drigh Road …. Both roads coming and going to the Millenium side of Drigh Road”, the statement read.
It added that police are present at the scene and diverting traffic.
Yesterday, the traffic police had diverted vehicular traffic to alternative routes, but long queues of cars, trucks, trailers, etc, could be seen on almost every city road till late in the night.
Separately, the MWM Lahore wing — including Vice Chairman Allama Ahmad Iqbal Rizvi, Punjab President Allama Akbar Ali Kazmi, and Lahore President Najam Khan — has been holding a protest outside the Lahore Press Club since last week.
In Rawalpindi, the Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqh-i-Jafariya (TNFJ) Regional Council on Friday organised a protest rally from Liaquat Bagh Chowk to Committee Chowk on Murree Road.
On the call of TNFJ head Allama Agha Syed Hussain Maqdisi, the ‘Day of Martyrs and the Oppressed’ was observed in Rawalpindi to condemn the deteriorating and extremely dire situation. Protest gatherings were held in central mosques across the country after Friday prayers.
Stemming from decades-old land disputes, deadly tribal clashes started last month in the wake of an attack on a convoy that resulted in the deaths of 52 passengers, and have claimed at least 130 lives since last month.
Residents in Kurram have reported food and medicine shortages, claiming deaths of scores of children due to it. A total of 613 individuals have so far been airlifted from the district after the KP government launched a helicopter service.
Additional input by Imran Gabol and Javid Hussain
