Karachi [Pakistan], January 1 : Religious parties continue to hold sit-ins at six locations across Karachi, leading to widespread traffic disruptions and causing significant inconvenience to commuters. These protests, organised by two religious groups, have effectively blocked several major roads in the city, contributing to a chaotic traffic situation, ARY News reported.
According to Karachi traffic police, protests are taking place at Numaish Chowrangi, Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road, Kamran Chowrangi, and Water Pump areas. The situation is particularly severe at Numaish Chowrangi, where the road has been completely closed to traffic.
Similarly, roads leading to Abu al-Hasan Isfahani Road and Abbas Town are also obstructed, worsening the traffic gridlock. Furthermore, traffic movement is blocked from Kamran Chowrangi to Mosmiyat Road and Water Pump to Incholi Road. These closures have made commuting extremely difficult for residents.
While several major roads remain blocked, there are some routes that remain unaffected. The road from Sohrab Goth to Water Pump remains open, as does the Banaras to Orangi Town route.
However, with many key roads still closed, authorities have urged commuters to remain patient and opt for alternative routes to avoid getting stuck in traffic congestion, reported ARY News.
On Tuesday, the protests escalated into violence at Numaish Chowrangi when police attempted to disperse the protesters from the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) using shelling. The police's use of shelling triggered an intense response from the protesters, who retaliated by throwing stones at law enforcement officers.
In the chaos that followed, several motorcycles were set on fire, adding to the disruption. The violence resulted in injuries to multiple police officers, including SSP Keamari Faizan Ali and several members of the Special Security Unit (SSU) Commandos.
Rescue sources confirmed that some of the injured police officers, including an SSU commando, were rushed to the Civil Hospital for treatment. Authorities also detained several individuals involved in the protest, which had been ongoing for hours, ARY News reported.
Despite the escalation, the protests have continued into a third day, leaving authorities and commuters with few immediate solutions.
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