Protesters bring Karachi to a screeching halt

Protests in reaction to Faizabad incident paralyse city

KARACHI:

An eerie silence punctured by vengeful yells engulfed Karachi on Saturday after security forces came down hard on protesters in Islamabad’s Faizabad. Protesters in Karachi took to the streets in support of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and held sit-ins and demonstrations at 40 different locations.

Motorists were caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic on various main arteries of the metropolis while business and commercial activities were also partially suspended. Star Gate, Nursery and University Road were the most affected areas of the city where the police and protesters engaged in an hours-long game of hide and seek.

Taking action against the violent mob pelting stones at the police and reportedly resorting to firing as well, the Karachi police began aerial firing, teargas shelling and baton charging protesters, leading to violent clashes in multiple areas.

Some 32 protesters were injured during clashes, particularly in the Star Gate area, and the police say they have arrested around 18 suspects for attacking the police and disturbing law and order at Star Gate. During the scuffle, Memon Goth SHO Gulzar Khan and police constable Sabir sustained bullet wounds.

 



The sit-in has been continuing in the city for the past week at Numaish Chowrangi, however, this is the first time that the protest turned violent.

Star Gate

Supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik gathered at Star Gate and staged a sit-in, blocking the flow of traffic, turning the area into a battleground for at least four hours.

An extra contingent of police reached the site and the road turned into something reminiscent of a war scene when the law enforcers tried to get them to move.

The protesters blocked the road and refused to move, according to the police. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

“We were staging a peaceful protest. The police was already there and things were normal. But things turned violent when suddenly an extra contingent of the police force led by [District Malir] SSP Rao Anwar arrived with teargas shells, water cannons and batons,” said Noman Qadri, one of the protesters at Star Gate. “Dozens of innocent protesters, including elderly men, were brutally beaten up by the police. They even fired directly at the peaceful protesters, injuring several of them,” he said.

Contrary to these allegations, police officials accused the protesters of disturbing the law and order situation and attacking the police. They also blamed the ‘miscreants’ for creating chaos.



“We asked them [the protesters] to not block the road but they did not obey our request. Then some miscreants from Shah Faisal Colony [hinting about a political party’s workers] joined the protesters, who attacked the police,” SSP Anwar told The Express Tribune. “One of my SHOs, Gulzar Tunio (Gulshan-e-Maymar police station chief), and SSP Dr Najeeb Ahmed’s gunman, constable Sabir, were also injured in the firing, which compelled the police to use force against the protesters.”

SSP Anwar said that the police did not fire directly at the protesters and actually fired in the air to disperse them. He said the police impounded 40 motorcycles and arrested 18 suspects.

Nursery

Nursery area experienced a similar situation. It was the second worst impacted area in Karachi and the protesters and police engaged for nearly two hours.

The mob attacked the police by pelting stones while the law enforcers made liberal use of teargas.

The police said they did not directly fire at the protesters. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

“The situation on Nursery turned violent when half the protesters from the sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi started marching towards Nursery,” said Jamshed Division SP Dr Rizwan Ahmed. “Some miscreants joined them while they were on their way and then they turned violent and started destroying shops and petrol pumps near Allah Wali [Chowrangi].”



SP Ahmed said the violent mob comprised nearly 2,000 people and intended to block the entire Sharae Faisal. “Some of the protesters were armed and gunshots being fired could be heard from their side,” he explained. “The police used intense teargas to disperse the violent mob. Thank God, the situation is now normal and the protesters are holding peaceful sit-ins at Numaish Chowrangi and in Nursery after the police action.”

The protesters also set a truck on fire in Natha Khan, while a passenger bus was also partially torched. Another truck was set ablaze on the Malir 15 Flyover.

Other areas

Besides Star Gate and Nursery, more than 40 other locations in Karachi witnessed sit-ins and protests. These areas included Teen Talwar, Tower, II Chundrigar Road, Korangi’s Nasir Jump, Korangi No 4, Korangi No 2, Kala Pul, Nagan Chowrangi, New Karachi’s Godhra Colony, Shafiq Morr, NIPA Chowrangi, Hassan Square, Saddar Parking Plaza, Shah Faisal Colony No 3, Karachi Power House, Hub River Road, Super Highway, FTC Building on Sharae Faisal, Gizri, Shadman Town, 4K Chowrangi, Punjab Chowrangi, Liaquatabad No 10, Landhi No 6, Natha Khan, Shah Latif, Quaidabad, Baldia Colony, SITE, Orangi Town and Anda Morr.

District Malir SSP Rao Anwar was present during the clash at Star Gate. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

Protests at nearly 20 locations continued well into Saturday night, however, the violence was controlled by early evening.

Given the volatile situation in the city, all major political, academic and social activities scheduled on Saturday were postponed, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan’s visit to Karachi.

The protestors also instigated the shutting down of petrol pumps in various areas of the city, as well as multiple markets in the city including Boulton Market, Ranchore Lines, Tariq Road, Saddar and Electronics Market.

Injuries

Around 26 injured persons were brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), said deputy director Dr Suleman Khokhar.

Abdullah, 18, was critically injured while five others who received serious bullet wounds have been operated on. Two injured were referred to Liaqat National Hospital.

According to him, all the patients received at JPMC had gunshot wounds and were brought from the Malir and Star Gate areas.

“Currently, we have 15 patients under observation. They will be discharged as soon as their conditions improve,” said Dr Khokar.

As many as 32 people were injured in the protests across the city. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

Among the injured are an Edhi Foundation employee and reporters of two private news outlets. Six injured were also reported at the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre.

Official response

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the sit-ins and directed Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja and Karachi Commissioner Ejaz Ahmed Khan to deploy police and law enforcement agencies to disperse the protesters. “No one will be allowed to paralyse the city,” the CM said. He also directed the traffic DIG to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city.

Sindh Rangers Director-General Major General Muhammad Saeed directed the paramilitary force to control the law and order situation in Karachi in coordination with the police.

Many markets, including Saddar, were closed on Saturday. PHOTO: INP

“The citizens should remain [calm]. The Rangers have been ordered to come onto the roads,” reads a statement issued by the Rangers. “No one will be allowed to harm public property. A third party can take advantage of the situation.”

Social media, channels suspended

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority ordered private television channels to go off-air, fearing that live coverage of the Islamabad operation could trigger protests elsewhere in the country.

After the electronic media blackout, people turned to social networking websites for information but Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were also blocked by the authorities in an effort to stop information from trickling out.

Protests were held at 40 separate locations across Karachi. PHOTO: PPI

Traffic

The city’s major arteries remained choked or closed on Saturday. Thousands of people on Sharae Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, University Road, Garden Road, Super Highway, National Highway and Korangi Road faced traffic jams.

Azhar Obhayo, a banker who was travelling from North Karachi to Clifton, said, “I was stuck for more than two hours around 1pm near Hasan Square.” He said the police should arrest those who are creating a nuisance by blocking the roads.

“My friends and I waited for more than an hour for public transport to return home,” said Khan Muhammad, who had gone to visit the Pakistan Travel Mart exhibition at Expo Centre.

After a week of demonstrations at Numaish Chowrangi, the protesters grew violent on Saturday. PHOTO: ONLINE

Gurbuksh Rajpal said that it took him an hour and a half to reach the airport to drop a guest.

Train service suspended

Besides suspension of business and commercial activities, train services were also affected due to the demonstrations, as the protesters also occupied the railway tracks in Malir and attacked trains.

More than 10 trains were affected by the protests. According to a Railways official, no trains departed from or arrived in Karachi since 1pm.

“We moved a pilot engine but the protesters pelted it with stones and we were forced to call it back,” the official told The Express Tribune. He said thousands of passengers were stranded at the railway station. Some passengers also missed domestic flights due to the traffic blockades.

 With additional reporting by Mudaser Kazi