KARACHI – Police have lobbed tear gas and baton-charged JUI-F protesters at Sharea Faisal road as they tried to reach the Karachi Press Club for staging a sit-n against alleged rigging in Feb 8 general elections.
Reports said police resorted to shelling and baton charge near Nursery point on the road, causing massive traffic jam. The protesters in retaliation also hurled stones at the police officials, ensuing clashes.
JUI-F Sindh general secretary Rashid Mehmood Soomro said that the police were using force to stoptheir peaceful procession without any legal notice in different areas of the port city.
Saying his party’s mandate was stolen in the elections, he asked the Supreme Court and high court to take notice of the situation.
The protests has caused traffic jams from Nursery towards FTC while motorists are facing problems near Karsaz where the political parties were staging protest against election rigging.
Meanwhile, the protests have disrupted flight schedule at the Karachi airport as people are unable to reach their timely to take their flights.
Karachi to Dubai, Karachi to Muscat, Karachi to Lahore and other flights have been delayed keeping in view the ongoing political situation in the city.
Earlier in the day, newly-elected members of the Sindh Assembly took oath in the maiden session of the assembly. Elections for the slots of Sindh Assembly speaker and deputy spearker will be held tomorrow.
Newly elected lawmakers of Sindh Assembly take oath amid protests