Karachi: Commuters were stuck in traffic jams for hours on major roads thoroughfares of the city on Monday because of religious parties’ staging a protest sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi to mark the chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri, who was executed for murdering Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer on January 4, 2001.
The protesters have been staging the sit-in since Sunday. Massive traffic gridlocks were seen on the roads near Numaish Chowrangi and on Sharea Faisal. Adding to the traffic problem was the law-enforcement agencies blocking the roads leading to the Governor’s House and the Chief Minister’s House to keep the protesters away by placing containers.
Security has been increased for the Karachi Press Club, which was attacked by these religious parties and pro-Qadri student activists a day earlier, and the double-track road next to it is being used for single lane traffic. Besides, a portion of the road has been barricaded further causing traffic problems.
The closure of Numaish Chowrangi affected traffic on surrounding roads and also Sharea Faisal and vehicles were stuck in jams.
Officials said as Monday is the first working day of the week, there is more traffic than usual and if a major thoroughfare was closed, it affected traffic on other roads. A journalist said it usually took him five minutes from the press club to reach II Chundrigar Road but he was stuck in a traffic jam for hours.
At the sit-in, the leaders of the protesting religious parties condemned the bomb blast at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore and vowed to unite for the security and solidarity of the country.
They said terrorists had targeted Pakistanis at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park without any discretion of religion and sect; therefore being Pakistanis, we should fight against terrorists with unity.
