Clashes as JI workers attempt to march towards Sindh Assembly, several arrested

Police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge after workers of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan attempted to move towards the Sindh Assembly in Karachi.

According to reports, police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, while a baton charge was also carried out. One Jamaat-e-Islami worker was reportedly injured during the action.

Authorities also seized a truck carrying the party’s sound system and detained at least 10 workers.

In response, some protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, leaving several police personnel injured.

Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, criticised the provincial government, stating that the “fascism of the PPP is being witnessed by the entire country”.

He said that using tear gas against peaceful citizens and preventing them from staging a sit-in reflected panic, adding that an empowered local government for Karachi is the city’s right.

Meanwhile, Senior Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the party had already been informed that entry into the Red Zone would not be permitted.

He alleged that charged workers entered the restricted area and resorted to stone-pelting, emphasising that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands.

It is worth noting that Jamaat-e-Islami had announced a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly on 14 February to press for Karachi’s rights.