KARACHI, Jan 29: Participants of the 9th Muharram procession on Monday staged an hour-long sit-in near Masjid Ali Raza on M. A. Jinnah Road against the alleged detention of three activists of the Jaffaria Alliance as it ended here peacefully.

The main procession was taken out from Nishtar Park, where thousands and thousands participants gathered from across the city to observe the day with due religious fervour to commemorate the supreme sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions in Karbala.

Speaking on the occasion, Allam Salman Turabi highlighted the importance of the sacrifices offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his associates.

Allama Salman shed light on the different aspects of the life of Hazrat Imam Hussain and importance of the great sacrifices offered by him and his companions in Karbala.

Earlier, various small processions taken out by mourners from different parts of the city, also reached Nishtar Park.

Later, the main procession after passing through its specific route arrived on M.A. Jinnah Road.

The participants of the procession also offered the Zohrain prayers, led by Maulana Ghulam Abbass Raeesi, at Imambargah Ali Raza.

After the prayers, the participants staged a sit-in on M. A Jinnah Road in protest against the continued detention of three Shia youths.

Senior officials of the administration called on the elders of the protesting participants and requested them to move the procession ahead. However, the participants refused to walk ahead and demanded the release of their activists.

The protesting participants ended their hour-long sit-in only after Naib City Nazim Nasreen Jalil held negotiations with them and assured them of all possible help to locate the missing men.

Dr Ali Raza, Mumtaz Hussain, an engineer, and Imran Naqvi have been missing for the past seven months. They are believed to have been picked up by the law enforcement agencies following a bomb blast at the Nishtar Park that killed Sunni Tehrik chief and many others.