KARACHI: The ongoing sit-ins by religious-political party Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) over the Parachinar crisis have entered their the seventh day, causing severe traffic disruptions for residents of the port city.
Government statements, meanwhile, have failed to alleviate the road closures plaguing Karachi residents. Citizens face restricted movement, with businesses and wedding ceremonies disrupted, and incidents of missed flights and trains continuing.
Two days back, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had said that the provincial government would act if public inconvenience increased. Yesterday, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab remarked that the purpose of these sit-ins was to paralyse daily life and disrupt businesses, which it is the state's responsibility to prevent.
Later, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Shazia Marri suggested protesters hold sit-ins in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa instead of Karachi, yet no progress has been made in reopening the roads.
The MWM is currently holding sit-ins at 13 locations. MA Jinnah Road and Numaish Chowrangi remained closed, while sections of Shahrah-e-Pakistan were blocked at Ayesha Manzil and Ancholi.
On the National Highway, one track near Malir Flyover was shut down. Protests are also being held at Five Star Chowrangi, Powerhouse Chowrangi, Ahsanabad and outside KDA Flats in Surjani.
Further sit-ins are being held on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town, University Road near Safari Park, and Kamran Chowrangi and Johar Mor in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
However, sit-ins at two points on the city's primary road, Sharea Faisal, have been called off at Natha Khan Bridge and Malir 15.
Furthermore, the road from Golimar Chowrangi to Nazimabad No 2 is also closed due to ongoing sit-in.
However, the MWM's protests are not limited to Karachi as the religious-political party is also staging a sit-in at Lahore's Davis Road which has resulted in persistent traffic congestion and has also affected surrounding roads.
Addressing the protesters, MWM leader Allama Ahmed Iqbal demanded the reopening of the Parachinar road, highlighting the difficulties faced by locals due to the road's closure.
He said that the blockade was leading to shortages of food and medicine and urged the government to take immediate action.
The Sindh government is in constant communication with the protesters in Karachi, according to the provincial government's spokesperson, Saadia Javed.
Speaking on Geo News' programme "Geo Pakistan", she said that authorities have managed to reopen some locations previously blocked by the demonstrators.
Javed criticised the lack of public outcry against the KP government under which the Parachinar incident occurred.
She also noted that the leaders of MWM claim they have no specific demands, while the protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until the Parachinar issue is resolved.
"This tragedy in Kurram is not a political matter; it is a humanitarian crisis," Javed remarked.
She acknowledged the inconvenience caused to Karachi's residents due to road closures and emphasised that the government would take action.
"We cannot see Karachi's citizens in distress," she added.
A Grand Peace Jirga on law and order in Kurram district and the closure of the Tall-Parachinar Highway will reconvene on Tuesday, according to Kurram's deputy commissioner.
One party has requested two days for consultations, and both sides are expected to present a mechanism for handing over weapons within 15 days.
The road closure has severed over 100 areas of Upper Kurram from the rest of the country for three months. Food supplies have been depleted for several days, and a shortage of medicines in hospitals is proving fatal for patients.
Over 130 people have lost their lives due to terrorism, while dozens, including children and adults, are dying from a lack of medical treatment caused by roadblocks and medicine shortages.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Information Adviser Barrister Saif has claimed that a general consensus has been reached between the two sides.
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