Karachi residents continue to face traffic woes for 7th day due to protests over Kurram crisis – Pakistan

Residents of Karachi continued to face traffic woes for a seventh day as protests against the recent killings in Parachinar, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District, continued on Wednesday.

In Kurram, a Grand Jirga has been working towards a peace accord. Clashes stemming from decades-old land disputes have claimed at least 130 lives since last month, with food and medicine shortages reported due to weeks-long road blockades.

Residents in Kurram have also been staging a sit-in since December 20, which was continuing today, a Dawn.com correspondent confirmed, against the law and order situation there as well as road closures.

The religiopolitical Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) had given a country-wide call of protests to express solidarity with the people of Parachinar, following which sit-ins in Karachi began on December 24, and expanded further last Thursday, leading to traffic disruptions.

Pitched battles between police and groups of youth broke out at multiple spots in Karachi yesterday, with six cops among at least 11 people injured, as law enforcers fired tear gas to remove protesters staging sit-ins against the blockade and killings in Parachinar.

As the banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) also started counter-protest sit-ins at 14 places, roads remained closed for traffic at 18 locations across the city last night, with the MWM protests continuing at four points.

Traffic disruptions persisted today as well after the MWM demonstrations entered their ninth day.

According to a statement by the Karachi Traffic Police issued at 2:20am, “The MWM sit-ins continued to block Abul Hasan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town, Kamran Chowrangi, Numaish, University Road going towards Samama Shopping Centre, and Water Pump Chowrangi at Ancholi.”

Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, starting from Paradise Bakery to Superhighway was closed, while the opposite road — leading from the Superhighway towards Maskan Chowrangi — was open for two-way traffic.

A similar two-way situation was witnessed at Ancholi, as well as Numaish, where the road heading to Gurumandir was blocked, the traffic police said. At University Road, smaller vehicles were being diverted to the service lane while heavier traffic was rerouted through residential streets.

On the other hand, protests by the ASWJ continued at Paracha Chowk near Gulbai and Shahrah-i-Orangi, the traffic police said.

However, according to ASWJ spokesperson Umar Muavia, the group was staging demonstrations at eight locations — Naagin Chowrangi, Orangi Town, Sher Shah Chowk, Jilani Centre near Tower, Fresco Chowk, Qayyumabad, Korangi No. 5, and Quaidabad.

In a statement, the outlawed group had demanded a military operation in Parachinar and provision of compensation to the heirs of the victims and damages to the property there.

9 cops, 7 protesters injured during police action

Police action yesterday resulted in injuries to nine cops and seven protesters, according to lists issued by the Sindh police, available with Dawn.com.

At Numaish Chowrangi, six policemen — including a Counter-Terrorism Department superintendent — were injured with stones while one was wounded by “firing”, a list stated.

Two policemen were injured by “firing” during protests at Malir 15, National Highway, the list said.

Another list, issued by the Sindh IG Operations Room, stated that seven protesters were “injured by firing” at Malir 15 and were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

Initially, the police had not faced resistance when they dismantled tents and dispersed protesters at almost six points but later at night, a clash between cops and agitators in Malir 15 resulted in bullet injuries to at least four protesters and two policemen.