HYDERABAD: The localities hit by sectarian disturbances in the city the previous night remained tense on Saturday as people continued to hold street protests against “blasphemous contents” uploaded by a Facebook user on his account. Police have arrested the suspect, holding him responsible for the rioting in the Phulelli area, who has since been sent to jail.

Markets and shops remained closed throughout the day while police and Rangers personnel kept a vigilant eye on miscreants to prevent a flare up.

The suspect was arrested last night on the demand by furious protesters, who had ransacked and torched the structure of an abandoned sabeel in the area.

“We have picked up a number of protesters for disturbing peace in area. Their identities are yet to be ascertained as they have randomly been rounded up during the protests on Saturday,” said DSP Phulelli Aurangzeb Abbasi.

Situation remained tense till the filing of this report at 9.30pm. “After arrest of the suspect last night, continued protest today is uncalled for,” said a police official.

The protesters claim that some of their friends had been held hostage inside the Kacchhi mohallah, which was the scene of rioting on Friday night. They were poised to search the locality and police were denying them entry fearing violence. Police and Rangers tried to make them believe that the area had already been searched and that no one was held hostage there. However, the crowd disbelieved them.

“We told protesters to share name of men who were being held hostage in Kacchhi mohallah but they didn’t come forward”, said SSP Hyderabad Abdul Salam Shaikh.

Tear gas shelling and aerial firing by police in a bid to disperse crowd led to a stampede. Many onlookers fell on the road leading to Al Fazal Town and Bhatti Goth, causing injuries to onlookers.

The area from Fazal Town to Pakistan Chowk and Phulelli Bridge remained disturbed.The Hyderabad Union of Journalists (HUJ) president, Aftab Memon, and general secretary, Ali Naeem, condemned the police for obstructing the coverage by press photographers. They urged Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Information Minister Saeed Ghani to take notice of of the increasing incidents of police harassment and order an inquiry.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2021