Clashes erupt as police try to clear roads

Two policemen injured in firing in Malir, dozens of protestors arrested.

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KARACHI:

Police, on the instructions of the provincial government, moved in to clear the sit-ins on roads organised by the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen in various areas of the city.

MWM was staging protests against violence in the Parachinar district of K-P, however, government's bis to uproot the sit-ins triggered intense clashes between the police and the protesters which continued till late night.

Due to the tense situation in the city, the flow of traffic on important highways and roads was severely affected, causing great hardships to the citizens.

Police used baton-charge and tear gas to end the sit-ins and disperse the protesters and claims that more than half a dozen officers and personnel were injured in firing and stone-pelting during the clashes. During the melee, unidentified persons set several motorcycles on fire at Numaish Chowrangi and Malir 15.

Meanwhile, when police contingents came to disperse participants of sit-in at Abul Hasan Isfahani Road, they were met with barrage of stones due to which some officials, including ASI Asim Siddiqui, in-charge of Abbas Town police post, were injured.

On the other hand, police used baton-charge and tear gas to disperse the protesters in various areas of the city including Johar Mor, Kamran Chowrangi, Nazimabad Rizvia Chowrangi.

Police took strategic action to end the main sit-in of a religious group at Naumaish Chowrangi. The police ended the sit-in using batton-charge and shelling. They seized mats, sound systems and other equipment.

Unknown persons set fire to four motorcycles at Naumaish Chowrangi, tires in adjacent areas including Soldier Bazaar and chanted slogans against ending the sit-in by force.

In Malir, two policemen, Niaz Khan and Zaigham, were injured in the firing by unidentified persons said Korangi district SSP Kamran Khan said. One of the injured suffered a bullet to the neck and was in critical condition.

MWM sit-ins to continue

Majlis-e-Wahdate-Muslimeen (MWM) has said that its sit-ins to express concern for the Parachinar crisis and support for the protesters in Parachinar continued for the eight day on Tuesday.

MWM Sindh General Secretary Allama Baqir Abbas Zaidi said that coercive tactics and force were used by the state against peaceful protesters in sit-ins across the city, including at Numaish Chowrangi. He said that police even opened fire on the peaceful protestors without any provocation.

Zaidi said that more than 24 protestors, including MWM leader Maulana Asghar Shaheedi, were arrested. MWM central leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi was also injured in the police shelling and hospitalized due to torture. Per MWM, the protests will continue in any case.

ASWJ sit-ins start

Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) staged sit-ins at 60 places in the port city on the instructions of party leaders Allama Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and Allama Aurangzeb Farooqui.

The sit-ins were completely peaceful, said ASWJ spokesperson in a statement, adding, ambulances were allowed to pass and, "problems of the people arising from the sit-ins were taken care of."

ASWJ leaders demanded impartial army action to eliminate armed checkpoints setup by miscreants in the strife-torn district of K-P.