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KARACHI: Massive traffic jams are being observed in various parts of Karachi on Wednesday as protests by the Hazara community intensified against the killings of eleven coal miners in Balochistan.
There is a severe traffic jam at Numaish, Malir 15, Nagan Chowrangi, NIPA, Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Abdul Hassan Ispahani Road, and Star Gate on Main Shahrah-e-Faisal. Motorcyclists and pedestrians are also facing immense difficulty in reaching their workplaces as routes remained blocked.
According to the Karachi traffic police, protests are being held at Shahrah-e-Faisal Colony Gate and Malir 15. Heavy traffic has been reported from Drigh Road to Malir on both tracks. The Drigh Road underpass has been shut for traffic. Vehicles are being diverted towards Gulistan-e-Jauhar, while the road from Munawar Chowrangi to Jauhar Chowrangi has been blocked.
A protest is also being held at Numaish Chowrangi on M.A. Jinnah Road. The track from Capri Cinema to Gurumandir has been closed. People are advised to use Corridor 3 and the Soldier Bazaar route instead.
A protest has also been reported near Safari Park on University Road. The road is closed from Safari Park to NIPA.In Gulistan-e-Jauhar, both tracks near Kamran Chowrangi are closed for traffic due to the protest. Protests are also being held at Power House Chowrangi in North Karachi and on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has instructed passengers to reach the airport before the departure of their flights to avoid any delays. PIA spokesman urged all passengers to inquire about their flight status from the call centre and reach the airport on time.
The members of the Hazara community have staged a sit-in in Quetta to demand justice for the slain coal miners who were gunned down in Machh four days ago. The bodies of the deceased were kept right where the community staged the demonstration on the Quetta-Sibi highway.
The negotiations between the government and members of the Hazara community to end their sit-in following the killing of coal miners in Machh ended in a stalemate with protesters refusing to bury the dead until Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives in the city.
A day after Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s visit to meet the protesters failed to end the protest, federal minister Ali Zaidi was sent to persuade the Hazaras to end their demonstration.
Zaidi met the protesters and assured them that the perpetrators of the Machh tragedy will be caught soon. However, the families refused to end the sit-in and bury the victims of the tragedy, saying that they will only end the protest after the prime minister meets them.
