An early-summer nightmare

As a resident of Karachi, I witnessed a horrific night on May 9 following Imran Khan’s arrest. I left my home at 1am to pick up my younger brother stuck at Shahrah-e-Faisal as there was no transport available. On my way, I saw damaged footpaths, burning tires, and bricks and stones all over the road. I also saw that police barricades were set on fire and protesters were throwing stones at the police and passers-by. They had blocked the road even at midnight. I even saw a few bikers slipping because of oil and debris on the roads.

The journey on the way back home was also the same, and I reached my home with itchy eyes and a bad throat due to tear gas. While everyone can see such images on TV and social media, what they cannot see is the air of fear. Throughout my journey, I was numb thinking what if this was another May 12 or December 27. This culture needs to change, and political leaders should educate their followers not to practice such activities which harm ordinary people.

Vincent Welfred Khan

Karachi