Protesters demand immediate reopening of routes to Parachinar

The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) continued their sit-in at Numaish on the fifth consecutive day on Saturday to protest against the Parachinar situation and to express solidarity with the city’s residents. Sit-ins at around 10 other locations across Karachi also continued for a third day.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Sindh President Mahmood Moulvi, IPP Central Executive Committee member and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders, as well as lawyers and social figures participated in the central sit-in at Numaish and expressed solidarity with the protesters.

During his speech at the protest, MWM central leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi responded to Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab’s remarks about the sit-ins. Naqvi claimed that Wahab became mayor through a fake mandate, and that he was speaking the language of the establishment.

The MWM leader pointed out that the mayor has not spoken a word about the blockade of Parachinar’s routes for 80 days, during which 130 children died due to the roadblocks.

Naqvi said Karachi’s residents are more distressed by the destruction of roads than by sit-ins, adding that the mayor should focus on his work rather than adding salt to the wounds of the victims.

He stressed that Karachi has always been the centre of anti-establishment and anti-dictatorship protests. He called for the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to take notice of Wahab’s “anti-people” statements.

MQM-P leader Shabbir Kaimkhani said on the occasion: “We are Hussaini, and stand against oppression. As a party we have been voicing our concerns against terrorism for the past 40 years. We condemn the incidents of terrorism in Parachinar.”

Kaimkhani demanded the immediate opening of the routes to Parachinar, and announced that they would raise an effective voice in the provincial assembly against this injustice.

Former governor Ismail said: “The terrorist attack in Parachinar is not the first incident. In Quetta (Balochistan) terrorists had targeted pilgrims. These systematic acts of terrorism are happening in our beloved country.”

He said that people adhering to any religion or sect deserve equal rights. “We do

not support those spreading sectarianism. We condemn the terrorism in Parachinar, and call for solidarity with its people.”

IPP leader Moulvi offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured.

“We stand with the people of Parachinar in these difficult times. The current situation is the result of the incompetence of the federal and provincial governments. The routes must be opened.”

Other leaders who participated in the protest included MQM-P Rabita Committee member Masood Mahmood, MNA Abdul Hafeez, MPA Anjum Mirza, MPA Amir Siddiqui, Allama Manzoorul Haq Thanvi, Allama Baqar Hussain Zaidi, Allama Nisar Ahmed Qalandri, Maulana Muhammad Hassan Raisi, Shabir Reza, Shamsul Hassan Shamsi, Ishaq Qurayati, Malik Ghulam Abbas and Hassan Sagheer Abdi.

The citywide protests have been causing commuters difficulties in reaching their respective destinations despite the fact that the traffic police have announced alternative routes, and have been diverting traffic toward them.