MWM’s sit-ins on arterial roads trigger traffic chaos in Karachi
Karachi traffic police announces diversion routes amid sit-ins against Parachinar situation in several areas
- Additional contingents of traffic, district police deployed.
- Sindh CM appeals to protesters not to cause troubles for citizens.
- Recent clashes in Parachinar killed over 130 people.
KARACHI: Commuters have faced extreme difficulties due to the closure of arterial roads in Karachi due to sit-ins staged by the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) against the tense situation in Parachinar city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district.
The protest sit-ins, which spread to several areas of the city a day earlier, continued on Friday, blocking key arteries and leaving commuters scrambling during the morning rush.
Additional contingents of traffic and district police have been deployed to facilitate citizens followed by the release of traffic diversion plans due to the closure of at least six main roads across the metropolis.
The closed roads included M A Jinnah Road, Numaish Chowrangi, Abul Hasan Isphahani Road to Super Highway-Abbas Town, Five Star Chowrangi, University Road, Safari Park, Shahrea Faisal, Star Gate to Malir 15.
According to the traffic plan, traffic was being diverted to PP Chowrangi, Gurumandir to Soldier Bazaar due to closure of M A Jinnah-Numaish Chowrangi. An alternative route was provided for the traffic from Society Signal to Corridor-III, Britto Rd to Soldier Bazaar and Gurumandir.
Similarly, both tracks of roads were closed for traffic from Abul Hasan Isphahani Road to Super Highway-Abbas Town, while the traffic was being diverted to Paradise Bakery to Fariya Chowk.
Traffic flow was resumed from service roads for Nazimabad residents due to complete closure of Five Star Chowrangi.
The protesters also blocked University Road by staging a sit-in before Metro Shopping Mall near Safari Park towards Samama Shopping Centre, leading to traffic diversion from nearby streets and service roads.
Meanwhile, commuters were being asked to travel from Drigh Road to Rashid Minhas Road due to closure of Shrea Faisal from Star Gate to Malir 15 while traffic from Millennium Shopping Mall was being diverted to other areas via Drigh Road.
Another arterial road — National Highway Malir to Quaidabad Road, was blocked due to a sit-in, therefore, the traffic was being diverted to Model Colony via Malir Halt.
The traffic police also updated the citizens about an alternative route from Manzil Pump to Younus Chowrangi and Daud Chowrangi to Industrial Area.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has appealed to the protesters not cause troubles for the citizens as “blocking roads in Karachi and Sukkur are not a solution to the Parachinar issue”.
Talking to media in Sukkur today, CM Murad clarified that the government was not against peaceful protests, adding that it was the government’s responsibility to prevent its citizens from facing difficulties.
The religio-political party is protesting against the deteriorated law and order situation in Parachinar as clashes claimed more than 130 lives, with reports emerging of over 100 children dying due to a shortage of medicines in the city.
However, KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has refuted these reports of child fatalities in the district.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 near the border with Afghanistan, has been a flashpoint for tensions for decades.
Fresh clashes erupted last month, triggering a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, lack of medicine and oxygen shortages following the blocking of the main highway connecting Kurram’s main city of Parachinar to Peshawar.
