KARACHI: The Hazara community is continuing protests on Thursday across Karachi against the killing of eleven coalminers in Machh area of Balochistan.
The protests have widened to 19 locations across Karachi while the main sit-in is being held at Numaish area. The protests have caused severe traffic jams across the city as commuters continued to face massive delays.
Protests are being held at Colony Gate on Shahrah-e-Faisal, Malir 15, Natha Khan Bridge, NIPA, Safari Park, Ayesha Manzil, Safoora Chowrangi, and Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Ancholi and Johar Maur. Protests are also being held at Power House Chowrangi in North Karachi and on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town.
A large number of religious leaders, men, women and children are participating in the sit-in protests. The protesters said that they were aware of the difficulties being faced by the people as different roads of the city are blocked due to sit-in protests. The protesters vowed to continue their protest as long as the sit-in protest by Hazara community members continues in Quetta.
READ MORE: PM assures to visit Hazara families ‘very soon’, urges to bury victims
The National Counter-Terrorism Authority has warned of a “major terrorist activity” in Karachi and said terrorists are planning an attack on “an unspecified important government department” in the near future.
It said the miscreants have already conducted reconnaissance of the target and made necessary preparation. The alert has been addressed to the Sindh home secretary, provincial police chief and the Rangers director general.
NACTA has recommended extreme vigilance and heightened security measures in the city. Hazara protesters have been staging sit-ins at a highway near Quetta and in several other cities for the last four days.
The protestors have refused to bury their dead until Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives in Quetta and meets families of the slain coal miners.
