Police disperse PTI bike rally

Party's Karachi chief gave the protest call, but was absent from the scene

KARACHI:

Police came down hard on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers staging a motorcycle rally from the party headquarters at Nursery Market on Sharae Faisal to Mazaar-e-Quaid to express solidarity with the imprisoned party chairman.

A large contingent of police swooped down on PTI supporters around the Quaid's Mausoleum with batons, arresting many and leaving many others bruised with strikes of bamboo sticks.

The PTI die-hard activists had gathered at the Mazaar-e-Quaid on the call of PTI Karachi Chairman Khurram Sherzaman. However, Sherzaman did not take part in the rally, nor did any senior leader dared to brave batons and detention.

Sherzaman had issued a message to hold the bike rally to lodge protest against false cases, arrests and undeclared ban on political activities of PTI and to show solidarity with the party chief.

As per plan the PTI rally started from the Nursery Market on Sunday. When the rally approached Khudada Chowrangi, police stopped the workers from going forward and dispersed the workers by using batton charge and detained several workers while others reached Mazar-e-Quaid.

Police once again conducted an operation at Mazar-e-Quaid and detained several workers. The confrontation between the PTI and the police continued for an hour at the Naumaish Chowrangi.

Nightlong raids

Following the announcement of a demonstration to express solidarity with PTI chairman, police had launched a crackdown from midnight till dawn to pick key PTI mobilisers in various districts of the city.

Using intelligence from local informers, police conducted raids throughout the city, detaining more than 60 leaders and activists of PTI and placing them under custody.

The Malir district police hauled away 12 PTI workers in Bin Qasim, Quaidabad, and Shah Latif areas.

The East Zone Police detained 32 PTI workers who were organising people for the bike rally in neighborhoods such as Khudadad Colony, Numaish, Shahrae Faisal, Karasaz, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Jamshed Road, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Similarly, the Korangi Police have taken 11 PTI workers into custody after overnight raids.

Meanwhile, the Central Zone police have transferred five PTI workers to police stations after conducting crackdowns in Ayesha Manzil, North Karachi, and Nazimabad. The crackdown comes in response to the call for solidarity with PTI's Chairman and reflects the ongoing tensions between political parties in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2023.