KARACHI: The city of Karachi is preparing itself for more chaos as the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) has announced plans to hold multiple sit-ins at 60 different locations across the city starting from Tuesday afternoon.
This move will add to the woes of Karachiites who are already struggling to cope with the ongoing protests and sit-ins by the Majlis-e-Wahdatul-Muslimeen (MWM) over the Kurram issue.
The MWM has been holding protests at 10 different spots in Karachi, causing severe traffic congestion and disrupting the daily lives of residents.
The ASWJ leaders have given the Sindh government a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their demands, threatening to start sit-ins at various locations, including Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, and Sharah e Faisal, if their demands are not met.
The situation in Karachi has been deteriorating over the past week, with the MWM protests causing road closures and frustration among residents. The provincial authorities have issued a warning to the protesters, with Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Javed Alam Odho stating that the ongoing protest will be cleared before Maghrib today.
However, this statement was later retracted by a spokesperson, who clarified that the Karachi Police Chief did not issue any direct orders to end the protests. The AIG had warned that those refusing to disperse would be removed per the law, and expressed appreciation for the patience shown by the police. Despite this, the situation remains volatile, and the people of Karachi are bracing themselves for more disruptions.
Locations for Protest
The ASWJ has declared that it will begin sit-ins from Tuesday afternoon, and has also identified various places in the city where sit-ins will be conducted.
These places include Hydari Market, Sakhi Hasan Mobile Market, Nagan Chowrangi, Lasbela Chowk, and others. This would, therefore lead to more disruptions in traffic and the general life of Karachiites.
The residents of Karachi are advised to prepare for alternative routes and other related activities in case the sit-ins take place. The situation is closely being monitored by the authorities, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the coming days.
