Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan staged a sit-in on Sindh Assembly Road on Saturday, demanding greater rights for Karachi and an empowered local government, as clashes erupted with police.

The protest, led by Karachi chief Munim Zafar, saw workers march from various areas toward the Sindh Assembly Building.

Heavy police contingents blocked their advance, setting up barricades. After negotiations failed, protesters began a sit-in on the main road. Police resorted to shelling, while demonstrators attempted to break through security cordons.

During the clashes, several protesters and police personnel were injured. Protesters managed to reach the assembly gate, while police impounded a truck carrying a stage and sound system.

JI MPA Muhammad Farooq Jamaat-e-Islami said, “Sindh Assembly is not the Taj Mahal. Everyone has the right to go there. We promise not to throw even a single stone.”

Speaking to Aaj News, Munim Zafar said the party had announced the protest two weeks earlier and would continue the sit-in outside the assembly.

Intermittent clashes continued in the Red Zone, where police arrested more than 10 workers, according to officials.

Meanwhile, the JI chief Naeemur Rehman took to X and said that the “entire country is witnessing the fascism” of the PPP, attaching videos and photos of police action against the protesters.

‘The use of tear gas against peaceful citizens and attempts to stop the sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly are clear evidence of the Sindh government’s failure and panic. An empowered city government is Karachi’s right, and the people of Karachi will secure this right,” he said.

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