Switching gears: PTI’s dharna erupts in cheers on MQM’s boycott of re-polling

Party says protests will continue until fresh elections are held across Karachi.

KARACHI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s supporters, who were protesting for the sixth consecutive day against the ‘hijacking’ of the elections in Karachi,  burst into cheers as news of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s boycott of May 19 re-polling came on Friday night.

The party appeared to have switched gears on Friday — the main purpose of the gathering seemed to be to encourage young voters to cast their ballots again on Sunday.

The protest on Friday night was slightly more eventful than the previous ones: people who took part in it witnessed a bit of drama and tension when the Clifton and Defence police brought in a water cannon to Teen Talwar.



“You have just one minute to disperse,” said the officers inside the large vehicle on which the cannon was mounted. The law enforcers also constantly told the protesters to turn off the laser lights which they aimed at the vehicle.

PTI leader Firdous Naqvi explained to the police officers that their protest was a peaceful one but a law enforcer clad in kameez shalwar didn’t listen to his argument and said the group was violating section 144, which bans public gatherings of more than four people.

This angered the protesters who yelled back asking why people at Nine Zero aren’t threatened with blasts of water when they talk of separating Karachi from the rest of the country. Naqvi and other PTI leaders said the water cannons had been hauled in as a part of a conspiracy to disrupt their peaceful protest. “We are nonviolent people,” he said.

Omer Anwar, who cast his vote after standing in line for six hours said he was ready to come out again. “I am ready to come out on Sunday and brave the hot weather to vote again.”

Samina who came to the protest with her two daughters said that for free and fair elections, she is ready to step out of her house over and over again. On May 11 she was unable to cast her vote at DHA school in Phase IV. “I am grateful to the election commission for giving us a chance to vote again, but I hope that they would give in to the demand of holding elections in the whole city.” First-time voters and students Kaleemullah Masood and Abdul Rehman said that if elections are not held again, they would never vote again in their life. One side of the road from Teen Talwar to the underpass was closed down as the protest was taking place. A huge screen had been set up, showing pictures of PTI chief Imran Khan.

Men and women sat on the road, waving the party’s flags. Awab, the son of NA-250 candidate Arif Alvi, said that they were preparing for Sunday. “We will bring in our heavyweights and organise more camps at polling stations.” The party is not done with protests. According to Jawad, a party worker, they have planned an overnight protest at 5 star Chowrangi, North Nazimabad at 7pm and would not stop demonstrations till elections are held again in all of Karachi’s constituencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.