JI’s ‘noble cause’ show turns ugly

Citizens stuck in massive traffic jams as party activists protesting against

KE’s tariff hike on Sharea Faisal clash with police 

Commuters suffered for hours in massive traffic gridlocks on Sharea Faisal and its adjacent thoroughfares, as scuffles broke out between police and Jamaat-e-Islami activists, who wanted to stage a sit-in on Sharea Faisal against the K-Electric’s tariff increase.

The protest, which was scheduled against the recent hike in the electricity tariff and alleged overbilling by the power utility, turned into violent brawls between police and demonstrators, after Karachi JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and other party activists were arrested when they left the party headquarters to lead the rally.

The provincial government has imposed a ban on staging sit-ins and staging rallies on Sharea Faisal, which is one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

To stop the protesters, the police blocked roads leading to the Idara Noor-e-Haq, the party’s headquarters in Karachi, by parking water tankers.

Following the arrest of party leaders and activists, the participants of the rally who were protesting on MA Jinnah Road headed towards Sharea Faisal. 

The police used tear gas and aerial firing to disperse the protesters. TV footage showed JI activists pelting the law enforcers with stones.

The demonstrators, however, managed to make it to Sharea Qauideen where they blocked the traffic moving towards the Nursery Flyover at the Tariq Road intersection.

The protesters held a brief sit-in on the thoroughfare, causing a massive traffic jam for commuters at 6pm. As traffic police tried to divert the vehicles in the gridlock, a chaotic situation was seen at the under-construction track heading towards Tariq Road from Sindhi Muslim as traffic from both sides ended up on a single track.

The other parts of the city were also affected as traffic moving towards the Jinnah International Airport from Clifton, DHA, II Chundrigar Road and Saddar was diverted to Sindhi Muslim Society for an alternate route to the airport. A massive gridlock was also seen at Nursery.

The JI protesters, after a brief sit-in on Sharea Qauideen, walked towards the Nursery Bridge, but the party activists did not allow vehicles to come on the road for some time.

A heavy contingent of the South district police and Rangers reached the scene to disperse the protesters.

Initially, the police negotiated with the protesters to leave, but when they refused the law enforcers fired gunshots in the air.

The police also called in armoured police carriers and water cannons to disperse them.

After aerial firing and teargas shelling, the JI activists turned violent and attacked the law enforcers with stones.

The scene turned into a battleground as the protesters hid in adjacent streets and kept appearing on Sharea Faisal to stop the traffic. 

Extra policemen from the East and Malir districts were called in to bring the situation under control.

The protesters, however, dispersed after the police and the JI leadership held successful talks and the JI Karachi chief was released. Traffic on Sharae Faisal also resumed.

Because of the hours-long traffic blockade on Sharae Faisal, the traffic flow on Kashmir Raod, main Korangi Road and Abdullah Haroon Road was also affected.

The vehicular traffic moving towards University Road was also disrupted when an incensed mob set tyres on fire outside the JI Karachi head office near the Islamia College. 

JI Sindh chief Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui said over 20 workers were arrested along with Hafiz Naeem.

He said the protest against the K-Electric would continue as the party was fighting for the rights of the people of Karachi.