Police on Thursday stopped the rally of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at Numaish Chowrangi and barred it from entering the Red Zone.
The MQM had taken out the rally to protest against alleged illegal arrest of its workers. The protest rally commenced from Liaquatabad and was scheduled to culminate at the Rangers Headquarters located near Sindh Assembly, but police stopped the participants near Numaish Chowrangi.
The police forces deployed were under orders to stop the rally at Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum. The MQM leaders also stopped the party workers and supporters from moving forward.
Security forces had earlier sealed the sensitive area around the Rangers Headquarters, which is in close proximity to the Governor House, CM House and other important state buildings.
High-ranking police officials, including DIG-South and Sindh IG Ghulam Haider Jamali, told media personnel that they would not allow protesters to enter the sensitive area and would employ water canons to disperse the crowd if need be. Authorities had also placed barriers along the routes leading to the Red Zone in order to stop the rally from proceeding. Roads around the area witnessed heavy traffic congestion due to the blockades.
The MQM’s leadership, on the other hand, said it would end the protest rally where stopped and would respect the law. The party claims that 22 of its workers were busy in election campaign for the upcoming LG polls when they were arrested by the law enforcement agencies. The party alleged that it was an attempt to curtail the activities of the most favoured contender in Karachi days before polling day.
