Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday ended its sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly after violent clashes with police but announced a new round of protests across Karachi, accusing the Sindh government of using excessive force against its workers.
The protest on Sindh Assembly Road, led by Karachi chapter chief Munim Zafar, turned violent after negotiations failed and police moved in to disperse demonstrators using tear gas and baton charges.
Police and protesters clashed repeatedly in the Red Zone, with several injuries reported on both sides and more than 10 JI workers arrested, officials said.
According to police and eyewitnesses, protesters torched several police motorcycles, seized a fire brigade vehicle and sprayed water at security personnel.
Authorities later recovered the fire truck. A tear gas shell reportedly ignited a fire at a nearby mosque’s power installation, prompting the fire brigade’s arrival.
JI leaders said police resorted to “brutal force” to prevent workers from staging a peaceful protest, alleging shelling, baton charges and arbitrary arrests.
The party announced sit-ins on Sunday at 10 locations across the city, including Shrea Faisal, Super Highway, National Highway, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Nursery and Landhi-Korangi.
The sit-in was part of a broader campaign by Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan demanding greater civic rights for Karachi, including an empowered local government system and improved water supply.
JI workers had marched from different parts of the city toward the Sindh Assembly but were stopped by heavy police deployment and barricades.
Provincial Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said talks with the party had been scheduled for 4.00 p.m., but JI had been informed that entry into the Red Zone would not be allowed.
“No one will be permitted to turn this into a spectacle,” he said, adding that restrictions had been clearly communicated.
Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon accused protesters of attempting to force their way into the assembly and engaging in stone-pelting. He said the government remained open to dialogue but warned against road blockades, saying such actions disrupted daily life and traffic in the city.
JI MPA Muhammad Farooq said access to the assembly area was a public right and denied allegations of violence by party workers.
Speaking to Aaj TV, Munim Zafar said the protest had been announced two weeks earlier and vowed to continue demonstrations against what he termed “state repression.”
Meanwhile, JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman accused the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party of “fascism” in a post on X, sharing videos of police action. He said the use of tear gas against peaceful protesters reflected the Sindh government’s “panic” and failure, adding that an empowered city government was Karachi’s right.
Intermittent clashes continued into the evening as security forces maintained a heavy presence around the assembly.
Severe traffic congestion was reported on surrounding roads, while police struggled to fully contain protesters, who vowed to press ahead with their campaign.
