KARACHI: Police on Sunday resorted to tear gas shelling to prevent participants of one of the many rallies taken out to mark Sindhi Cultural Day from moving towards the Red Zone via Sharea Faisal and detained several workers, officials said.

The police had already blocked a portion of Sharea Faisal near FTC flyover by parking heavy vehicles there. In view of certain past untoward incidents, the law enforcers were asked to ensure that no participant was allowed to move beyond FTC under any circumstances, as the area ahead leads into the Red Zone, which contains sensitive installations.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the law enforcers asked the rally participants to use the Lines Area route towards Saddar and subsequently the venue of the rally at Karachi Press Club (KPC), but “they were bent upon using the Sharea Faisal from Jinnah Bridge”.

“They allegedly pelted stones at the police when they were stopped, resulting in injuries to five policemen,” he said, adding that this prompted the police to resort to tear gas shelling to disperse them.

The officer said that 45 people were detained.

The police action caused traffic chaos on the main artery.

When asked why the law enforcers had blocked the road at the FTC flyover, the DIG said that an advisory was issued pertaining to the cultural day, as multiple rallies and cultural processions were expected to assemble at the FTC and intended to move towards the KPC via Sharea Faisal.

He said that around 10-12 rallies came from different parts of the metropolis and reached Fawara Chowk/KPC with around 17,000 to 18,000 participants.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2025