KARACHI, July 5: The driver of a Hyderabad-bound bus suffered injuries, while dozens of vehicles were damaged by a violent mob on M. A. Jinnah Road on Saturday.

The driver was identified as Rasool Bux. He suffered injuries when participants of a procession turned violent and hurled stones on the windscreen of the bus. The windscreens of several other vehicles were also smashed by the mob.

The participants of the procession were protesting against the bloodshed in Quetta in which 44 people were killed inside an Imambargah on Friday.

The vehicular movement remained suspended for more than half an hour on Jinnah Road as the processionists blocked the road.

All sorts of vehicular traffic was diverted to other roads which caused traffic jams, and resulted in hardships to motorists and commuters travelling in public buses.

The procession was taken out from Nishter Road after Maghreb prayers as people wanted to register their protest at the killings in Quetta. Police and rangers were deployed to maintain peace.

As procession was not allowed to enter the M A Jinnah Road and was instead forced to move towards the Soldier Bazaar, the protesters passed through Soldier Bazaar area.

However, the protesters appeared on the M A Jinnah Road from behind the Capri Cinema and started pelting the vehicles with stones. They reached Purani Numaish intersection and also lit bonfire.

The participants of the procession later dispersed after a successful dialogue between the police and the leaders of the participants in the procession. The road was later reopened to vehicular movement.

Another procession was taken out from the Abbas Town on Abul Hasan Isphani Road in Gulzar-i-Hijri, around 9pm, where protesters lit bonfires. They headed towards the Ancholi Society.