PTI supporters occupy Numaish Chowrangi

Protestors brave baton charge, tear gas shelling to reach sit-in venue

KARACHI:

Over 2,000 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have occupied the Numaish Chowrangi on the call of the party leader Imran Khan to stage sit-ins across the country.

Numaish Chowrangi is a vital intersection of the city leading towards the economic and trade hub of MA Jinnah Road. Men, women, children and elderly people have spread out rugs and started the sit-in on the road while some were seen sitting atop the containers placed by the district administration to stop the protestors from reaching the venue.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi wing succeeded in carrying out its protest at Numaish Chowrangi despite the preventive measures of the police and closure of roads leading to the protest venue.

A large number of PTI workers managed to push back the police and reach Numaish Chowrangi and Shahrae Quaideen in defiance of the blockades erected at several places.

On reaching to the protest venue, the PTI workers had to bear relentless shelling and baton charge by the police.

During the clashes with the police, the roads leading to Numaish and Shahrae Quaideeen as well as adjoining areas continued to present the scene of the battlefield while two persons were also injured in due to firing by the police.

Several PTI workers, police officials and private TV cameramen were also injured in the tear gas shelling and baton charge.

Protesters set fire to a police van near the Numaish Chowrangi while the police arrested more than a dozen PTI workers on charges of rioting, impeding government work and damaging public property.

Following the announcement of the long march on the direction of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the Karachi leadership of PTI called on its party officials and supporter to carry out a protest sit-in at Numaish where the Islamabad March was supposed to be shown on a large LED screen.

In view of Section 144 imposed against assembly of multiple people, police also mobilised themselves on this information and deployed a heavy contingent at the Numaish Chowrangi on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The main roads and streets leading to Numaish Chowrangi were sealed with containers. Just after midnight, in the early hours of Tuesday, some PTI workers including women and children started showing up at Numaish. Police immediately took them into custody and forced them to leave.

Later, as the day started PTI officials and workers, including a large number of women, started moving towards the Numaish. During this time, they faced relentless shelling and baton charges from the police.

The roads and streets leading to Numaish and Shahrae Quaideen continued to resound with the crackling of bullets as police fired tear gas shells and carried out aerial firing.

The harsh response of the police provoked the PTI workers, prompting them to hurl stones on police officials and security vans. During the clashes, 18-yearold Yousuf and 25-year-old Azhar were injured from firing and were rushed to Jinnah Hospital by Edhi volunteers for immediate medical treatment.

According to rescue officials, both men were shot in the ribs and leg. Due to the commotion, Namaish Chowrangi and Sharae Quaideen presented the scene of a battlefield. Brigade Police Station SHO Khalid Rafique and Gulshane Iqbal SP Dr Abdul Khaliq were also reportedly injured in brick batting by protesters. The clashes also injured a cameraman and lady reporter of private TV channel. Intermittent clashes between police and PTI workers continued in the affected areas.

The PTI workers showed up in large numbers near Numaish Chowrangi after reports of the arrests. During the commotion, the protesters also set a prisoner van on fire.

The shelling and aerial firing enraged protesters as they continued to chant slogans against the police and the government. PTI leader Ali Zaidi also reached Numaish Chowrangi on the occassion and showed the shells of the police before the journalists. He said that such tactics could not demoralise the PTI workers at all.

The poor strategy of the police and the administration is responsible for turning a peaceful protest into a battleground, he said, while strongly condemning the baton charge, shelling and aerial firing.

He said that PTI workers, especially the women, were in high spirits and managed to reach Numaish by overcoming all the obstacles.

PTI leaders Khurram Sher Zaman and Firdous Shamim Naqvi also reached Numaish and encouraged the workers. Acting IG Sindh Dr Kamran Fazal has said that maintaining law and order situation is the top priority of the police.

A statement issued by the spokesperson of Sindh Police said that protection of life and property of the citizens and establishment of writ of law would be ensured.