Karachi Police on Friday arrested over 20 workers and leaders of the PTI for violating Section 144 by staging a rally in Saddar’s Empress Market, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan, according to police and party officials.

Separately, supporters of the religiopolitical party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) staged their own demonstration in the Saddar area protesting the death of a party supporter during a rally on October 13. The protesters clashed with police, leaving seven cops injured, including a lady constable.

Section 144 is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.

“The police have arrested a total of 35 workers of both parties, including the leader of a religious party as both parties violated section 144,” South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com.

PTI workers and leaders gathered at Empress Market after Friday prayers, despite the Karachi Commissioner imposing section 144. DIG Raza told Dawn.com that the police detained 15 PTI workers, including PTI’s Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the PTI’s media cell said that party supporters held a peaceful protest at Empress Market “calling for the release of party leader Imran Khan, judicial independence, and against unconstitutional amendments”.

“However, police responded with unprovoked violence, using excessive force, including severe tear gas shelling, which caused hundreds of participants, including women, to faint,” the press release alleged.

The statement added that police led a baton charge on the protesters and “arrested more than 20 PTI leaders, including MPA Rehan Bandokda, PTI Karachi Minority Wing President Suleman Kanwal, and Youth Leader Meraj Shah”.

The statement added that Sheikh strongly condemned the police crackdown, stating, “Today’s protest at Empress Market was peaceful, yet the authorities unleashed brutal tear gas shelling and violence, particularly targeting women. We categorically condemn this aggression.”

Sheikh also expressed concern over the increasing restrictions on freedoms. “It is telling of our times when, instead of addressing the media, we now face tear gas shells. A media blackout is being imposed,” the statement quoted him as saying.

“The Sindh government has once again shown its fascist and oppressive face,” Sheikh said, “However, these tear gas shells will not deter us, as the entire nation stands firmly behind Imran Khan.”

Other PTI leaders, including Karachi Senior Vice President Jafar ul-Hassan and Sindh Spokesperson Muhammad Ali Baloch, criticised the police’s intervention and use of tear gas to disperse the protesters in the press release.

Footage circulating on social media showed clouds of tear gas and riot police in the Saddar area.

TLP clashes with cops

Meanwhile, TLP workers on Friday afternoon engaged in separate clashes with police in the main Saddar area, protesting the recent death of a supporter during a rally and the registration of terror and murder charges against the party’s leadership.

TLP spokesperson Rehan Mohammed Khan told Dawn.com that they planned to stage the rally in protest of the death of party supporter Majid Rizvi and the registration of terror and murder charges against party leaders and members.

“The PPP-led Sindh govt had resorted to executive high-handedness against the workers,” he said. “Law enforcers resorted to direct fire on our workers during the rally on October 13 near Metropole Hotel in which … Majid was killed and several others were injured.”

The TLP spokesperson warned that if their workers and leaders were not released, they would be compelled to take “extreme action”.

Meanwhile, TLP Sindh General Secretary Ali Palh told Dawn.com that police manhandled their workers and resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charges.

South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sajid Amir Sadozai told Dawn.com that TLP workers gathered at Regal Chowk in Saddar, allegedly burning tyres. “Police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charges to disperse them and 15 workers of the party were arrested,” he said.

Witnesses claimed that police also resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protestors, however, SSP Sadozai denied these claims. The SSP said police have decided to register a case against the detained TLP workers and leaders.

DIG Raza said that when the police attempted to restore order, the protestors attacked them, resulting in injuries to seven police personnel, including two SHOs and a woman.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed to Dawn.com that seven police personnel including one lady constable were brought for treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Dr Summaiya added that all injured police personnel were stable as they suffered minor injuries.

All major roads in Saddar and several markets electronics were closed during the incident, causing major traffic congestion in the area.