KARACHI: Major sit-ins by a religious party across the country, which severely disrupted traffic, have started to wrap up today (Tuesday).
According to details, the protests are expected to continue for a second day, but they will remain confined to limited areas. In Karachi, majority of the roads have now been cleared.
According to the traffic police, University Road, Malir, Hassan Square, Orangi 5, and Shahrah-e-Faisal have been reopened for traffic. The protest near Tower, Jinnah Bridge and Hassan Square has ended.
The traffic police further said that roads are closed in Orangi Town No. 5, Baldia No 4, Stargate and Korangi No 2. The last traffic alert issued by the Karachi traffic police on their Twitter was at 10am Tuesday.
In Punjab, paramilitary forces were called in to control the situation. Bhatta Chowk in Lahore and the Shanghai flyover are closed for traffic. Murree Road in Rawalpindi has not been opened yet.
In Lahore, the traffic flow was disrupted in several areas such as Chohang and Multan road due to protests. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse protesters in the Yateem Khana Chowk area.
At least two people were killed and several others, including policemen, injured as violence erupted in major cities following the arrest of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Allama Saad Hussain Rizvi.
According to a TLP spokesperson, Rizvi was arrested from Punjab capital’s Iqbal Town area, where he had gone to attend a funeral. Saad Rizvi is the son of the firebrand cleric, and previous head of the TLP, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who died in November last year.
