JI Karachi leaders arrested as party gears up for Feb 14 sit-in

KARACHI: Police on Sunday arrested Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi’s acting chief Muslim Pervaiz, Sindh Assembly member Muhammad Farooq, and several other party leaders during a public press conference outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Sindh office.

According to Jamaat-e-Islami, the arrests were made while party leaders were holding a peaceful press conference, with police intervening before it concluded. The party termed the action an unwarranted crackdown on political activity.

JI said police also ordered the closure of shops and hotels in the surrounding area. Those detained include district chiefs Sufyan Dilawar and Mudassar Hussain Ansari, along with other party office-bearers.

Sources said tensions escalated after authorities objected to the setting up of a protest camp outside the Election Commission office.

The arrests come amid escalating political activity by Jamaat-e-Islami following the “Jeenay Do Karachi” (Let Karachi Live) march held on Shahrah-e-Faisal last Sunday.

Addressing the gathering, JI Pakistan chief Engineer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman had announced a protest sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly on February 14 and warned the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to “pack up.”

Earlier, on February 2, 2026, police registered a case against the leadership and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi in connection with the march. The party described the move as “political victimisation and fascism,” ARY News reported.

The First Information Report (FIR) No. 26/37 was registered at Tipu Sultan Police Station against JI Karachi chief Munim Zafar and around 1,000 party activists, workers, and supporters.

According to the FIR, some activists allegedly dug up sections of Shahrah-e-Faisal using sharp-edged tools and pitched tents on the roadway.

Responding to the FIR, a JI spokesperson said registering a case against a peaceful protest was an attempt to silence public voices. “It is a failed effort to suppress the people’s movement,” the spokesperson said, adding that legal cases would not deter the party’s struggle for the rights of Karachiites.

The spokesperson reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami will proceed with its planned sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly on February 14. “We are not afraid of any FIR,” he said.