Police baton-charge MQM-P protestors, fire tear-gas outside CM House

KARACHI: Police baton-charged Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) workers and fired tear gas to disperse the protesting activists outside the Chief Minister (CM) House in Karachi, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The MQM-P workers including women and children have been baton-charged by police officials in a sudden move to disperse the protestors outside the CM House.

A female worker’s condition was deteriorated due to heavy firing at the protestors of tear gas shells by police. It was learnt that 10 MQM-P workers were detained by the policemen from the protest venue.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Syed Aminul Haque told ARY News that the workers were still present around the CM House. He strongly condemned the violence started by the Sindh government against the peaceful protestors.

He criticised that the Sindh government was not willing to resolve issues through dialogues. He added many MQM workers including women were injured and arrested by the policemen.

A MQM-P Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Sadaqat Hussain was also arrested.

Earlier, MQM-P workers removed all barricades to enter Red Zone and held a sit-in at the central gate of CM House in Karachi to protest against the controversial Sindh local government (LG) law.

The MQM-P rally against Sindh LG law has been converted into a sit-in in Karachi after the workers entered Red Zone removing all barricades placed by the law enforcement agencies.

MQM-P workers and on-duty police officials came face to face after some of the protestors tried to advance towards the CM House. After being stopped at the CM House, the political workers held a sit-in outside the main gate.

While talking to ARY News, ex-Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar said that MQM-P workers were being shifted to a nearby spot outside the CM House. When questioned about the duration of the sit-in, Waseem Akhtar said that they have not decided yet.

The MQM-P leaders told ARY News that they are demanded the withdrawal of the controversial Sindh LG law and their protests will be continued until the Sindh government held talks with them.

The leaders said that the Sindh government has not yet sent any delegation to hold talks.

The new wave of protests against the Sindh LG law caused a huge traffic jam on different arterial roads of Karachi.

The affected roads include Shahrea Faisal, Sadar, M A Jinnah Road, Lyari Expressway, PIDC, I I Chundrigar Road, Empress Market, University Road, Hassan Square, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, NIPA, Gulistan-e-Johar and others.