Anti-canals protesters clash with police at National Highway

Clashes between lawyers, political workers and police continued intermittently on Sunday along the National Highway and Link Road near Gulshan-e-Hadeed during a protest against the construction of new canals on the Indus River.

The area resembled a battlefield as protesters pelted police with stones and freely used sticks, injuring several officers and personnel. Enraged individuals also attacked and damaged a police van before setting it on fire.

Following orders from senior authorities, police used tear gas, batons, aerial firing and water cannons to disperse the protesters. Over two dozen individuals, including lawyers, were detained on charges of rioting. Due to the unrest, the National Highway remained completely blocked since morning, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.

A protest camp had been set up by lawyers, political workers and nationalist activists six days ago near Steel Town, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, on the National Highway and Link Road. On Sunday morning, acting on directives from their seniors, police attempted to dismantle the camp, sparking outrage among the protesters. Lawyers and activists surrounded the police, attacked them and started pelting them with stones.

Malir Bar General Secretary Advocate Ayaz Chandio told the media that police forcibly tried to end the sit-in against the construction of six canals on the Indus River, and assaulted nationalist party workers present at the camp.

During the confrontation, Malir Bar member Advocate Zeeshan Arain was injured, then detained by police and moved to an undisclosed location. Several protesters were arrested, and traffic on the previously blocked highway between Karachi and Thatta was temporarily restored.

However, demonstrators soon blocked the National Highway and Link Road again. District Malir police chief SSP Kashif Abbasi arrived at the scene with a heavy contingent of police, including Rapid Response Force units.

Police again used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, leading to renewed clashes as the protesters attacked the police with sticks and stones. The protesters surrounded another police mobile, assaulted the officers inside, damaged the vehicle with sticks and then set it on fire.

Speaking to the media, SSP Abbasi said lawyers had been holding a peaceful protest for five days with police permission. On Sunday morning, during the removal of roadblocks in the absence of protesters, the demonstrators attacked police personnel.

Three policemen were injured in the clashes, and two police mobiles were either set on fire or damaged. He said protesters were demanding that cases be filed against the Sindh and Karachi police chiefs, and other district officers, despite causing damage to public and private property.

He added that the situation was under control, and the sit-in on the National Highway was ongoing. According to police officials, two FIRs were registered against the protesters for attacking police on the National Highway and Link Road. Heavy police deployment remained in place.

Protests continued late into the night near the Link Road section of the National Highway. The protesters targeted another government van, assaulting those inside and looting the vehicle. The van was heavily damaged with iron rods and sticks. Upon receiving reports, a large police force rushed to the scene, causing the protesters to flee.