Move to designated location or face action, minister tells MWM protesters staging sit-ins in Karachi

• Lanjar questions closure of roads in Karachi on Parachinar issue.
• "Govt to take action whenever citizens face inconvenience."
• So far, 19 protesters arrested in yesterday's police crackdown. 

KARACHI: A day after clashes between the police and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) protesters in multiple spots in the city, the Sindh government on Wednesday extended a "final offer" to the protesting religio-political party to move to a designated location or face action as the sit-ins against the Parachinar crisis entered the ninth day.

"The government will establish its writ in any case [...] we cannot allow unrest in the city," Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar said while addressing a press conference along with Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon.

A day earlier, the police cracked down on the MWM's central sit-in at Numaish, where the party's activists have been holding the protest to express solidarity with Parachinar and Kurram Agency’s people since December 24. The situation escalated after police baton-charged and tear-gassed the protesters to clear the area.

During the clashes, six police motorbikes, a police post and a car were torched. Police detained several people on charges of rioting and eventually cleared the roads around Numaish.

The MWM later resumed its sit-in at Numaish, where they blamed police for torching their protest camp and sound system, as well as protesters’ motorbikes. MWM leader Allama Mubashir Hassan accused police of torching private property and causing the situation to worsen under the Sindh government’s directives.

Briefing the media today, the Sindh home minister questioned the closure of roads in the metropolis on the Parachinar issue, saying that it was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's government responsibility to resolve the long-standing issue. "Those who are staging the sit-ins are allies of the KP government," he noted.

"The city's roads have been blocked since the past week and the citizens are even unable to go to the hospital or airport," Lanjar said, adding that the Sindh government shares their grief on the Parachinar issue "but this is not the solution".

He noted that a number of meetings between the protesting MWM leaders and the ministers and other officials, including the Karachi Police Chief were held to carve out a solution.

"Ulemas told us that some of the youth are not willing to end the sit-ins," he said, regretting that their offers, including allowing a designated place, were rejected.

Lanjar added that the government would swing into action whenever the citizens face inconvenience. 

"We are still offering [the MWM protesters] a designated location to record their protest," the provincial minister said, adding that this is not a way to block the roads and turn them into battlefields and ruling out any compromise on the issue.

He added that if the sit-in organisers are willing to stage a protest at a specific place, then they should approach Karachi police chief and Commissioner Karachi.

Giving details about the yesterday's crackdown, he said that the government held repeated negotiations with the protesting party and attempted to resolve the issue peacefully. 

So far, he said, 19 protesters have been arrested and three cases registered against them. "Anti-Terrorism Act, attempt to murder and other sections have been included in the FIR [first information report]," he added.  

He pointed out that there were reports of one death during the clashes but the situation was unclear. "Apparently, the death is not related to the sit-in while the investigation is underway," he added.

Roads closure

Currently, sit-ins are being held at seven locations, and MWM protesters and Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) workers — whose protests commenced on Tuesday — are demonstrating at various points across the city.

According to the traffic police the thoroughfare leading from Abul Hassan Isphahani Road, Abbas Town, towards Sohrab Goth is blocked along with the street from Kamran Chowrangi to Mosamiyat.

The track heading towards Guru Mandir from Numaish Chowrangi is also closed as well as the street from Water Pump to Ancholi.

Furthermore, the way leading from University Road, Safari Park towards Safoora Chowrangi is also blocked.

The road from Gulbai towards Paracha Chowk is closed, whereas the opposite track is open for traffic. Furthermore, the thoroughfare leading from Orangi Town Road to Banaras is blocked.