KE Protest: JI's Hafiz Naeem released after brief detention

KARACHI: Police on Friday released Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi cheif Hafiz Naeemur Rehman after a brief detention in order to prevent the party workers from marching towards Shahrah-e-Faisal in protest against K-Electric, ARY News reported.

The JI Karachi chief had announced to march towards Shahrah-e-Faisal to protest against the power supply firm K-Electric’s alleged overbilling. More than a dozen other workers were also arrested from outside Jamaat e Islami headquarters, Idara Noor-e-Haq, just before they were set to leave for the protest point.

Deputy Ameer JI Karachi Muhammed Islam and an activist were severely injured, a teargas shell had hit on the former’s head and the latter received a bullet injury in his abdomen. Both of them were forthwith shifted to a nearby hospital.

Refusing to permit JI to hold a protest sit-in, District Coordination Officer (DCO) East said that the party would be responsible for any kind of loss and chaos during the protest.

The arrest turned Shahrah-e-Faisal into a battleground as JI workers took to the thoroughfare to continue with the protest but police fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd.

JI activists responded with throwing stones towards the security forces. The protesters also set tyres on fire on the road.

POST-RELEASE PRESSER

Talking to media after his release, Hafiz Naeem said Director General Sindh Rangers Major General Mohammad Saeed had given him assurance that all the issues would be resolved amicably and teargas shells would not be fired at protesters.

“We will not let anybody deprive people of Karachi of their rights. Our protest was peaceful, while police started thrashing and arresting our workers heading towards protest sit-in,” claimed the JI leader.

He added that JI is a peaceful party and its protest was spoiled but JI will not back down like other political parties who scored deals to stay silent over the issue and against interest of residents of the metropolis.

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