The chief of the religiopolitical Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) on Wednesday night called off its sit-ins in the country following the successful peace agreement between various factions in Kurram to end the violence in the restive district.
A Grand Jirga succeeded in securing a peace accord today after three weeks of efforts to broker a ceasefire amid violence in the area. 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 Upper Kurram’s Parachinar have also been staging a sit-in since December 20, which a Dawn.com correspondent confirmed was continuing today, against the law and order situation there as well as road closures.
The 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.
The announcement to end the sit-ins by MWM chief Senator Allama Raja Nasir spelt an end to Karachi’s traffic woes as residents continued to face difficulty for a seventh day due to protests continuing earlier today despite last night’s violence.
In a post on X, Senator Nasir said: “I announce the end of the ongoing sit-ins and protests in Pakistan and around the world in support of the oppressed people of Kurram and Parachinar districts. The elders, youth, and women who sat on sit-ins in solidarity with their compatriots in the bitter cold from Karachi to Khyber are all great and unparalleled people who have awakened the government and security agencies from their slumber.
“The peace agreement between the parties in Kurram district is welcome. However, until the agreement is fully implemented, we will continue to raise our voice and continue our efforts at every forum until the problems of Kurram district are permanently resolved.”
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.
Traffic disruptions persisted today as well after the MWM demonstrations entered their ninth day — continuing at four points — while the ASWJ protests continued for a second day.
According to a statement by the Karachi Traffic Police issued at 11am, 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.
Meanwhile, 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.
Sindh govt offers ‘last chance’
As the MWM claimed that one of the participants of its sit-in at Malir-15 who was shot at and wounded during the violence had succumbed to injuries, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar issued a warning to the protesters.
“I am offering last chance to the organisers of the sit-ins for their face saving but I warn them that road blockade would not be allowed.
“We were told the roads would not be blocked and there was a speech by religious scholar Allama Raja Nasir Abbasi who declared road blockade as sin,” he said.
Lanjar said that the circumstances which led to death of the man were unclear and an inquiry was under way to ascertain the facts.
“The death of man is ambiguous and all I know at this moment is that it (murder) has nothing to do with police action,” claimed the minister while speaking at a press conference at Karachi Police Office where he provided reasons behind the police action against the protestors to clear roads on Tuesday that led to violence.
“We are conducting an inquiry to ascertain the circumstances, which led to death,” he added.
Flanked by Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon and Karachi Additional IGP Karachi Javed Odho, the home minister said that the organisers and participants of the sit-ins claimed that they were “peaceful” and wondered as to who caused injuries to eight policemen, including three with bullet wounds who were hospitalised with serious injuries to their vital organs.
He said eight private motorcycles and one bike of a traffic policeman were torched at Numaish and despite this the organisers said they were holding “peaceful” protests. “I asked who were those people who resorted to firing on policemen,” the minister asked.
Lanjar said a total of 19 protesters were arrested and three separate cases were registered at Soldier Bazaar, Sachal police and Saudabad over violence at Numaish Chowrangi, Abbas Town and Malir-15 respectively in which hundreds of persons, including “known personalities”, were booked over “attempted murder and terror charges”.
The minister justified police action to clear roads of protesters as blockade of main roads was causing hindrances to flow of traffic, triggering inconveniences to the citizens for the past week. He said people and different communities were complaining about road blockades as people were not able to carry patients to hospitals or airports to take flights.
“This was a critical issue for us,” Lanjar said, adding that the provincial government regretted over the Parachinar situation and stood in solidarity with the victims’ heirs. He said the Sindh government had also provided food and medicines to the affectees.
But, he said: “It does not mean you paralyse peaceful Karachi by blocking roads, resorting to violent means and causing damage to law enforcement agencies.”
“This is not a solution to the issue.”
He said initially, the organisers asked the authorities to record their protest at one place where they stayed for three days and later on expanded sit-ins across the metropolis. Referring to a series of meetings by ministers and officials, the home minister said the government offered the demonstrators to record their protest in a way that did not disrupt traffic but “regrettably”, they had rejected the offer.
“We were asked by the organisers of the protest sit-ins that some youths were not agreeing with the government offer and they (leaders) would inform the authorities within a few hours,” Lanjar recalled.
He added that instead, the protesters expanded the protest by “encircling” Karachi, creating a law and order situation. He showed several pictures of traffic jams. Moreover, the minister said in the meantime that “other people” also began blocking the roads apart from the MWM.
“When the writ of the govt was challenged, we were compelled to take action,” he declared, adding that the Sindh government came forward as the citizens of Karachi were suffering. He said the organisers told the authorities that they would stage sit-in at sides of the roads but instead, main roads of Sharea Pakistan, Sharea Faisal.etc were blocked.
“We have no quarrel with anyone but the writ of the government will be established,” the home minister vowed.
“If anyone commits an illegal act and resorts to violence, we will take action.”
He offered religious scholars of any school of thought to record their protest at the “proper place” but said: “We will not make a compromise if Numaish, Sharea Faisal, Ancholi and Malir.etc turn into a battleground.’
Later on, he said the protesters staged sit-ins at 10 places and blocked the main roads instead of sitting on the sides.
“Organisers of the sit-ins vacate the roads and hold protests peacefully at particular places, otherwise we will take action.”
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).
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed to Dawn.com that four men — named among the protesters’ list issued by the police — suffered gunshot injuries.
According to Dr Syed, Ali Raza had a “gunshot injury to [his] head” and was in critical condition. Qasim Zafar sustained a bullet wound on his left leg, Mohsin Anwar on his right leg, and an unidentified man had a gunshot wound on his abdomen, the doctor added.
In a statement, Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon vowed that concrete action would be taken against those who “attacked the police and took the law into their hands during the protests”.
Stating that the police had taken action to establish the writ of law, IGP Memon said that the “unfortunate incidents during establishing law and order” would be investigated on merit.
He further noted that police property was damaged while cops were injured.
Lanjar visited the injured policemen who were receiving treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
He directed that the wounded cops be provided with the best possible medical facilities and that a focal person of the police remain in contact with their families.
The injured included Zagham Abbas from Model Colony Police Station, Ayaz Khan from Shaheen Force, and Nawaz Ali from the Special Security Unit, the Sindh information department said.
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.
Regarding the police action at Numaish, IGP Memon had said the protesters had also torched some police motorcycles while “some arrests” had been made.
Meanwhile, the MWM condemned the police action, claiming that over two dozen of its workers were picked up by law enforcers.
MWM spokesperson Syed Ali Ahmer Naqvi told Dawn that in the morning, the police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged protesters at 10 places, including Abbas Town, and “forcibly ended the sit-ins”.
The MWM spokesperson in a statement claimed that the law enforcers manhandled the elderly scholar, Allama Syed Hasan Zafar Naqvi, at Numaish.
The party has vowed to continue the protest.
Additional input from Javid Hussain
