MQM leads rally against arrest of workers

Plans to protest outside Rangers headquarters thwarted at Numaish Chowrangi


The police erected barriers to prevent the supporters of the MQM from marching towards the Rangers Headquarters on Thursday evening. The party leaders decided to continue their demonstration at Numaish Chowrangi. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

KARACHI:


The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) led on Thursday a rally to protest the arrest of its workers ahead of the local government elections.


The rally failed to reach its destination, the Pakistan Rangers headquarters in front of Polo Ground, but the party leaders deemed the demonstration successful and dispersed near Numaish Chowrangi.

Police register FIR against nine MQM leaders

MQM leaders and workers took to the streets on Thursday afternoon after the Rabita Committee announced that they will gather in front of the Rangers Headquarters. They claimed that more than 100 workers have been arrested by the paramilitary force in the last four days, including Wednesday's raids at the party's Korangi, Hijrat Colony and Shah Faisal Colony sector offices. Some of the arrested men include candidates for the upcoming local government elections.

The supporters from Nazimabad, Korangi and Orangi gathered at Liaquatabad No 10. Senior deputy convener Amir Khan led the men on motorcycles and on foot and the women on buses as they started moving towards their destination, the Rangers Headquarters, after crossing Teen Hatti and Jamshed Road. At the Nawai Waqt office, the protesters were stopped by around 100 to 150 police officers, who had put up white fences and barriers. The police officers said that the protesters did not have permission to go ahead, said one demonstrator.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

Some of the workers removed the barriers and started moving ahead but the leaders stopped them. Khan said that they did not want any confrontation with the law enforcement agencies. He instructed the workers to remain peaceful. Even the MQM chief in London gave orders to the protesters to stop wherever the police tell them to. Eventually, the protesters ended up at Numaish Chowrangi where the MQM leaders addressed the crowd.

MQM gets votes by the use of guns: Afaq

"We have protested peacefully as we are a peaceful and democratic party," said MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar. "If we had reached the headquarters, we would have continued to protest peacefully."

The rally was a rehearsal of the MQM's victory on December 5, claimed Sattar, referring to the local government elections scheduled that day. The rally on Thursday showed the party's strength and power, he pointed out. Sattar stressed that the elections should take place in a peaceful environment, saying that they had a right to protest anywhere they wanted to.

MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi assured that they will not boycott the elections and will contest them at all costs. "Defeating the MQM in Karachi is impossible," he claimed. "Karachi belonged to the MQM yesterday and, even today, it belongs to us."

A protester, who came from Liaquatabad, said that he was there to protest the illegal raids of the Rangers. "Our brothers are being arrested for no reason. Their families are worried," he said.

Meanwhile, only a handful of Rangers men were deployed at the paramilitary force's headquarters where the rally was headed.

MQM leads rally against arrest of workers

Gridlock

As barriers were erected on several roads leading to the Rangers Headquarters, many commuters were stuck in traffic. The police had blocked several roads in an attempt to stop the demonstrators from reaching Polo Ground and many of the barriers stayed long after the protesters dispersed.

"The traffic jam was due to the rally," said Traffic DIG Amir Shaikh. "The number of vehicles is increasing every day but road development is not keeping pace," he said, adding that few of the roads were closed due to security reasons.

Numerous buses and private cars were stuck on MAJinnah Road, Garden, Lasbela, Guru Mandir, Tariq Road, Lines Area, Liaquatabad and other locations. The traffic police had also failed to provide adequate alternative routes which led to several ambulances being stuck. Rescue workers claimed that the families of the patients were extremely worried as critical patients could not be transported to the hospitals on time. "Around eight ambulances are stuck," said an official of the Edhi Foundation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2015.

COMMENTS (6)

Atif | 8 years ago | Reply Karachi belongs to people of Karachi.. 1947 has long passed we all are Pakistanis not mohajirs. And we should identify ourselves as Pakistanis. Keep up the good job Rangers
haris | 8 years ago | Reply what is karachiti, we call our self Karachiites, and Karachi belong to mqm, accept this reality or not,
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ