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The opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamat-e-Islami and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), have called off their joint protests in Karachi and announced their plans to observe "Black Day" across Sindh on February 27, ARY News reported.
The protests were organised against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections. Addressing the media at the Karachi Press Club, the leaders of the opposition parties announced plans to observe ''Black Day'' across Sindh on February 27, adding that the three parties would ensure full participation. JI Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that the peaceful resistance would be "proof of our success," vowing to free the city from the occupation mafia, as reported by ARY News. He further urged the party workers and protesters to return home peacefully, regretting the ''police behaviour'' with them. Reportedly, the police arrested at least 100 protestors across Karachi, including Awami Markaz and Karsaz, and shifted them to Bahadurabad and other police stations. Meanwhile, at least 148 newly elected representatives of the Pakistan People''s Party (PPP) were sworn into the 16th Sindh Assembly on Saturday. The Sindh Assembly was the second to have its lawmakers take oath after the February 8 general elections, with at least 313 MPAs being elected to the Punjab Assembly a day ago. However, today''s assembly proceedings took place amid protests at various points across Karachi by the GDA, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and others against alleged rigging in the general elections, ARY News reported. The opposition parties announced they were holding a peaceful protest in front of the Sindh Assembly building. However, the caretaker provincial government had already announced imposing Section 144 on holding rallies or public gatherings in the "Red Zone" area, where the Sindh Assembly is located. As the newly elected representatives of the Sindh Assembly took the oath, clashes erupted between police and JUI-F protestors on Karachi''s Shahrah-e-Faisal. The clashes erupted when police stopped the protestors, who were moving towards the Karachi press club, according to ARY News. Moreover, the protestors staged a sit-in on the Shahrah-e-Faisal after police fired tear gas shells to scatter the protestors and stop them from moving towards the red zone. The authorities placed containers at various points across Karachi after the police broke up the GDA and JUI-F protests. They placed it on roads that lead to the Sindh Assembly, including Fountain Chowk, Karachi Press Club, the Arts Council roundabout and Shaheen Complex, as reported by ARY News. Following this, the Karachi Toll Plaza was closed due to protests, causing a traffic jam on roads near Memon Goth. According to the police spokesperson, protestors were not allowed to enter the red zone at any cost. Moreover, the police arrested over 20 Qaumi Awami Tehreek workers, including women. (ANI)
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