KARACHI: A religious-political party's sit-ins against road blockades and tense situation in Parachinar, District Kurram, continue to paralyse different areas of Karachi on Sunday for the sixth consecutive day, leaving commuters in dire straits.
For many residents, travelling has turned into a nightmare due to traffic jams in several parts, forcing commuters to take diversion routes that exacerbate the situation on other thoroughfares as well.
The protest demonstrations are being staged at more than 11 different locations, including main arteries.
Besides other locations, demonstrations are currently being staged at Numaish Chowrangi, Natha Khan bridge on Sharea Faisal, in front of KDA flats in Surjani Town, Golimar, Power House Chowrangi, near Safari Park on University Road, Korangi No 2 ½, Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad, Abul Hassan Isphani road, Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Incholi society and near Ayesha Manzil.
The traffic police, however, said that alternative routes have been provided to facilitate the commuters.
Nevertheless, police’s efforts to clear the road, leading to the Airport area from Natha Khan, through negotiations with the demonstrators failed.
Police said protest on the Natha Khan-Airport road continued, while traffic flowed on the road leading to Saddar from Natha Khan on Sharea Faisal.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Saturday slammed continuous blockades of roads in Karachi "under the guise of protest", saying it was an inappropriate act.
The mayor also rebuked the protestors for damaging newly-constructed roads. "Who allowed them to damage the roads constructed recently in New Karachi," he said, while speaking to reporters.
Murtaza said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should resolve the issue of Parachinar. However, he added, blocking arteries would not serve the purpose.
"I apprised [Sindh Minister] Nasir Hussain Shah about the matter of road closures and he is working on it. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved today as talks with the protestors are underway," he said.
He lamented that if anything happened anywhere in the country, demonstrations are staged and roads are closed in Karachi.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah appealed to the demonstrators to avoid causing hardship for the public, saying: "Blocking roads in Karachi and Sukkur will not resolve the Parachinar issue.”
The protests stem from the deteriorating security situation in Parachinar, where clashes have resulted in over 130 fatalities since November, the point of recent escalation of conflict between two tribal groups.
Reports also suggest over 100 children have died due to a medicine shortage, although KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has denied these claims.
Parachinar, located in Kurram, is a tribal district near the Afghan border with a population of around 600,000. It has long been a hotspot for conflict.
Recent clashes have triggered a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of medicine and oxygen exacerbated by the closure of the highway connecting Parachinar to Peshawar.
In a relief effort, the Sindh governor’s office announced that a helicopter carrying medical supplies and other aid had reached Parachinar. These provisions were sent on the Sindh governor’s directive to address the growing crisis.
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