KARACHI: The city’s Jamaat-i-Islami chief along with over two dozen people protesting against ‘load-shedding and excessive billing’ by K-Electric were picked up amid clashes between police and protesters on main arteries of the city where the law enforcers fired into the air and resorted to teargas shelling to disperse those violating a ban on gathering of more than four people.

The protest had been organised by the JI whose two prominent leaders were among those detained by the police. The protest was, however, called off after the release of all the detainees as a second round of talks between the religious party and the law-enforcement agency remained successful.  

The standoff resulted in the closure of Sharea Faisal, Shahrah-i-Quaideen and New M.A. Jinnah Road that also affected the roads and areas linked to these arteries, causing inconvenience to commuters during peak hours.

The main protest camp had been set up on Sharea Faisal at Nursery on the JI’s announcement to launch a massive drive against ‘injustice’ meted out to Karachiites by a ‘nexus’ between the government and KE.

The religious party accused the police of using excessive force and subjecting their activists to high-handedness to foil their peaceful protest, while the officials said they were compelled to take action as the provincial government had imposed a ban on rallies while the JI leaders did not pay any heed to their ‘request’ to call off their protest during the first round of talks.

As part of their plan when JI activists arrived at their camp at Nursery and started making announcements against the power utility on Friday evening, contingents of police reached the place, picked up three activists and took action to remove the camp.

“The JI camp for illegal gathering on Sharea Faisal has been removed and three persons have been arrested,” said Gulshan SP Dr Fahad Ahmed.

In the meantime, heavy contingents of police were deployed on Shahrah-i-Quaideen which too was closed for traffic as police received information that another rally of JI workers was going to appear on the main artery.

“The police arrested at least 25 party workers and leaders including JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman and JI central vice president and former MNA Asadullah Bhutto from Idara-i-Noor Haq [JI’s Karachi headquarters],” said JI’s Sindh chapter chief Dr Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqi while speaking to Dawn.

After arrest of the leaders, the JI workers staged another sit-in, this time on New M.A. Jinnah Rd, and placed burning tyres on the road that connects University Rd with M.A. Jinnah Rd. The protesters also hurled stones at the officials, while the police fired into the air and resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the mob.

In late evening hours, the police claimed that the three main arteries were reopened for traffic, as the protesting JI activists had retreated into narrow streets.

In order to pacify the protesters, the police also released JI’s Karachi chapter chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman along with other leaders and workers following successful talks with the police and provincial minister Syed Nasir Shah.

After successful talks with representatives of the Sindh government, police and the Rangers, Dr Meraj-ul-Huda told Dawn that their struggle against ‘injustices’ being meted out to the citizens by K-Electric would continue.

He said talks succeeded as the authorities agreed to release all their workers and leaders.

Karachi East SSP Faisal Abdullah told the media that the provincial government had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code owing to which no permission had been given to the organisers to hold the rally. Strict action would have to be taken against its violation, he added.

“All-out efforts were made to prevent the sit-in by Jamaat-i-Islami on Sharea Faisal, however, the organisers did not pay heed to the request by police,” said Gulshan SP Dr Fahad Ahmed.

Thereafter, he added, the police were left with no choice but to take stern action.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2017