Traffic hurdle: Protest clogs MA Jinnah Road

KARACHI:

Protests by various religious organisations in support of convicted murderer Mumtaz Qadri on Monday led to massive traffic jams, particularly on the city's major thoroughfare - MA Jinnah Road.

"There are bumper-to-bumper traffic jams across the city, especially on MA Jinnah Road and the arteries linked to it," said an operator at the traffic police control room. "But we are trying our best as we have already made diversions to help commuters," he added.

Qadri was hanged at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi last month for the murder of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011. Religious parties marked on Sunday Qadri's Chehlum across the country and continued the commemoration on Monday.

The largest gathering was organised by Ittehad-e-Ahle Sunnat, an alliance of several parties representing the Barelvi school of thought, at Numaish Chowrangi. The alliance comprises the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani), Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat, Sunni Alliance, Sunni Ittehad Council and others. The protest was attended by a large number of people, including women and children, who were holding placards and portraits of Qadri. "Karachi's protest is linked to the central protest in Islamabad. It [Karachi protest] will continue till the federal government fulfils our demands," said Shahid Ghauri, a central leader of the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, while speaking to The Express Tribune. The main protest at Numaish Chowrangi had not ended till the filing of this report.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th,  2016.