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Workers block National Highway to protest against the arrest of religious parties’ leaders

M. M. A

KARACHI: Thousands of school pupils and office workers were forced to remain home as activists belonging to various religious parties blocked the National Highway and various roads in Malir. They have also obstructed railway tracks and pelted stones at passenger locomotives.  

Protestors are demanding release of Shia leader Allama Mirza Yusuf Husain and banned outfit Ahle Sunnat-wal-Jamaat (ASWJ)’s Allama Taj Mohammad Hanafi. According to sources they were nabbed in connection with last week’s 13 sectarian murders.

Meanwhile, Mirza Yusuf Husain, charged for delivering provoking speeches, has been taken to Sindh High Court. He will be produced before Anti-Terrorism Court. Media personnel including NewsPakistan.TV were barred from talking to Husain.

Chief Minister Sindh while chairing a high-level said that strict action will be taken to contain law and order in the Metropolis. Earlier city police chief has also briefed about the measures taken to alleviate the aggravating state of the city.

Accusing the PPP government ASWJ president Allama Aurangzeb Farooqui has said that since Hanafi is a candidate for by-election scheduled to be held on NA-258 he has been detained illegally to avert defeat.

Though police did manage to disperse the crowds by means of tear-gas shells and aerial firing, they repeatedly regrouped bringing traffic to a halt.  As a result the main artery of the Metropolis Shahrahe-Faisal is also experiencing a severe traffic jam Monday noon.

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.