KARACHI: Four political parties — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamate-e-Islami (JI), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — conducted protests in Karachi against suspected fraud in the February 8 polls, which were called off on Saturday after several hours.
At first, the PTI, GDA, and JI terminated their protest and stated that they would observe “Black Day” and hold peaceful rallies on February 27 in response to alleged cheating in the February 8 elections. Later, JUI-F senior leader Rashid Soomro called off a sit-in on Shahrae Faisal.
Commuters suffered the brunt of the police’s attempts to prevent political parties from gathering in the capital, as they erected multiple barricades across the main artery — Sharea Faisal — and the roads leading up to the Sindh Assembly.
The political parties had decided today as the protest date as the newly-elected members of the provincial assembly took oath and elected the speaker and deputy speaker.
When workers, including women, gathered in several pockets to protest, city police sprayed tear gas and baton-charged them.
Following the declaration of protests by several political parties before of the Sindh Assembly’s inaugural session, the Sindh government enforced Section 144 in the city’s south zone on Friday to prevent any disruptions to security and order.
“… the Government of Sindh, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 144 (6) Cr.PC, hereby imposes a ban on public assembly, gatherings, protests, processions, and demonstrations in South Zone Karachi Division for a period of 30 days with immediate effect,” said the provincial government’s notification issued late Friday.
Long lines of vehicles gathered on Shahrae Faisal when police closed the main artery from three spots—BBaloch Colony, Nursery, and FTC—iin a bid to stop protesters from gathering outside the Sindh Assembly.
