MWM ends sit-ins across Karachi as 19 protesters sent to jail

The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen’s (MWM) Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi announced ending all their sit-ins in Karachi late on Wednesday night. The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat’s spokesman (ASWJ), however, said their sit-ins would continue until their leadership issues directives to end them.

Since December 24 the MWM had been holding sit-ins in Karachi to express solidarity with the people of Parachinar and Kurram Agency. Clashes occurred between police and the protesters on Tuesday when attempts were made to end the sit-ins.

The Karachi police on Wednesday registered three cases on charges of blocking roads, attacking police, damaging public and private properties, and other offences. Sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) were also included. Police registered cases against 700 people, including the MWM leadership, women and mostly unidentified protesters.

One case was registered at the Soldier Bazaar police station on SHO Waqar Azeem’s complaint about the clashes between police and the protesters at the central sit-in at Numaish. It was filed against six named clerics and 350 other people, including women.

The FIR reads that road closures caused significant inconvenience to the public, creating fear and distress among those present, and that when police arrived, they found the protesters were being instigated by Allama Sadiq Taqvi, Maulana Naqvi, Allama Ali Mubashir Zaidi, Allama Mukhtar Imami and Maulana Asghar Shaheedi.

Police said they urged the protesters to end the sit-in, but the MWM leadership and others incited the crowd, leading to a violent situation. Officials said rioters, including some 250 men and several women, caused extensive damage to police and private properties, setting some of it on fire.

Six police officials were injured during the clashes, as the area turned into a battlefield, they added. Police said they took action and arrested 19 people, including Shaheedi, and seized items used during the riots and violence from the possession of various individuals.

Another case was registered at the Saudabad police station by SHO Zameer Ahmed against 150 people, including named suspects. The FIR reads that during a sit-in on the National Highway, police were negotiating with the protesters to end the demonstration when the crowd started rioting.

Police said the protesters attacked them with sticks and stones, and unidentified people opened direct fire on police and civilians, injuring two policemen, and they also torched two motorbikes parked nearby. Officials said when action was taken against the suspects, they fled into nearby residential areas.

A third case was registered at the Sachal police station on the complaint of injured police officer Asif Siddiqui against 150 people, including Imami and sons of Hassan Turabi.

Despite all of this, the MWM’s central sit-in at Numaish continued earlier on Wednesday, along with protests at three other locations: Abbas Town, Kamran Chowrangi and Ancholi. Meanwhile, the ASWJ also held sit-ins at around a dozen locations for the second consecutive day.

Majority of these protests by the MWM and the ASWJ were held on service roads or on one side of main roads, resulting in minimal disruption to traffic movement.

In their press conference, MWM leaders censured the Sindh government for using police to end the sit-ins, and accused the law enforcers of torching private properties and causing violence.

MWM central leader Naqvi addressed the press conference alongside Allama Sadiq Jafri, Allama Mubashir Hassan, Imami, Agha Ali Rizvi and Razi Haider among others. They accused the government of constantly threatening them. They criticised the chief minister, and said he should stay in his limits.

They accused the government of state oppression, propaganda and involving banned organisations to counter their protests. Videos showing police brutality during the sit-ins were also shown on the occasion. They said police damaged private properties, torched motorbikes and sound systems, and cracked down on “peaceful” protests.

They also condemned direct police firing at Malir 15 that wounded two young men. They claimed that a protester named Shabeeh Haider was killed, with dozens injured due to police violence.

They said the “PPP-controlled police force” is plagued by corruption for the past 15 years. Accusations were made about corrupt officers being stationed in the same places for two decades.

The MWM called for the CM’s immediate resignation, holding him and state institutions responsible for the violence against “peaceful” protesters. They also rejected the home minister’s statements, calling them misleading and uninformed.

They said a government delegation had visited their sit-ins earlier to express solidarity, and questioned the crackdown on “peaceful” demonstrations. They said the filing of allegedly false cases, arrests and violence are acts of state oppression. They demanded justice for those killed or injured during the clashes, and condemned “fabricated” cases against innocent youth.

Meanwhile, the ASWJ spokesman said they would end their demonstrations in Karachi after the MWM ends their protests. They continued their sit-ins at nearly a dozen locations across the city.

The spokesman said the ASWJ has always played a role in establishing peace, and would continue to do so, adding that the organisers ensured the smooth flow of traffic, and provided passage to ambulances to avoid causing inconvenience to the public.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and the provincial police chief visited the injured police officials at the hospital to ask after them. The police chief submitted a report on the sit-ins to Lanjar.

According to the report, six injured individuals from Malir 15 were brought to the Jinnah Hospital, while nine police officials were injured during the clashes.

The report said that one officer and six personnel were injured at Numaish, while two were injured in the Malir 15 area, adding that the injured policemen are under treatment and in stable condition.

19 sent to prison

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday sent to prison the 19 suspects arrested in connection with the Numaish clash, adds our correspondent. The investigating officer brought the suspects before the administrative judge of the ATCs and sought their 14-day remand for interrogation.

The IO said the suspects were involved in clashes with policemen, leaving four cops injured due to firing and stone pelting. The judge turned down the request for physical remand and sent them to prison on judicial remand, telling the IO to submit a charge-sheet within the stipulated time.