The traffic at Karachi’s Shahrah-e-Faisal was disrupted on Friday evening as the Jamaat-e-Islami protested at one of the main arteries of the city against alleged rigging in the by-elections for the local government.

“The flow of traffic is slow at Shahrah-e-Faisal as both sides of traffic are affected due to the religious-political party’s supporters have set up a camp and parked vehicles against the local government by-elections,” according to the Karachi Traffic Police’s update by 5:14pm.

In a post on X, erstwhile Twitter, they said that the protest site’s location was the Main Shahrah-e-Faisal Nursery Bus Stop towards the airport.

Bystanders told Aaj News that the police heavy contingent was trying to stop the protest and turned off the sound system.

According to a JI spokesperson, protesting against the alleged rigging in the by-elections for the LG “is their democratic right.”

The party alleged that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and the provincial Election Commission of Pakistan had a nexus and called for the return of lost seats.

The PPP emerged victorious on Thursday in the by-elections held across 18 districts in Sindh, including Karachi, where the electoral battle unfolded in six districts and one Cantonment Board. Of the 11 available seats, the PPP secured wins in nine.

A total of 388 candidates contested the 42 seats while 31 seats were already been won unopposed. The remaining four seats remain vacant due to candidates failing to submit the correct documentation.

Results from the Karachi municipal and cantonment board elections show that the PPP won four chairman seats, one vice-chairman seat, and four councillor seats.

The Sindh-ruling party succeeded in the chairman seat in Malir and Korangi while their vice-chairman candidate in Landhi also claimed victory.

The PPP has taken the lead by winning four councillor seats. The Jamaat-e-Islami secured one councillor seat while an independent candidate also claimed one seat.