Police, protestors clash at Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal

KARACHI: As the newly elected representatives of the Sindh Assembly took oath, clashes erupted between police and JUI-F protestors on Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal, ARY News reported.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fzal (JUI-F) earlier announced plans to stage a protest outside the assembly building.

As per details, the clashes erupted when police stopped the protestors who were moving towards the Karachi press club.

The protestors staged a sit-in on the Shahrah-e-Faisal after Police fired tear gas shells to scatter the protestors and stop them from moving towards the red-zone.

Earlier, police arrested at least 100 protestors as the newly elected members of the provincial legislature take oath in the maiden session of the Sindh Assembly.

Heavy contingents of police have been deployed at different spots on Shahrah-e-Faisal and where one track is completely blocked for the traffic.

Karachi East police have also arrested protestors from Awami Markaz and Karsaz and shifted them to Bahadurabad and other police stations.

JUI-F leader Rashid Soomro’s rally staged a sit-in at toll plaza after he was stopped at Karachi Hyderabad toll plaza.

He said that they aim to reach Sindh Assembly and stage protests outside the provincial assembly as it is their constitutional right to stage peaceful protests.

Section 144 imposed

The Sindh government imposed Section 144 in the south zone amid protest announced by five rival parties in front of the assembly against ‘bogus’ elections.

“… the Government of Sindh, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 144 (6) Cr.PC, hereby imposes a ban on public assembly, gatherings, protests, processions, and demonstrations in South Zone Karachi Division for a period of 30 days with immediate effect,” stated the provincial government’s notification issued late Friday.

It further notifies, “In pursuance of Section 195 (i) (a) Cr.PC, the S.H.Os of the concerned Police Station are hereby authorized to register complaints under Section 188 PPC in writing for the violation of Section 144 Cr.P.C against the violators of this Notification.

As per the ECP’s results, PPP won the most provincial assembly seats (84) followed by MQM-P (28), while independent candidates bagged 14, GDA 2, and JI two seats in the February 8 polls in Sindh.