KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has called party workers at JI headquarters Idara Noor-e-Haq and said he will announce the strategy there.
Earlier, Police detained JI Deputy Ameer Hafiz Naeem and dozens of workers including Dr Farrukh — hours before the party was scheduled to protest against the Karachi Electric corporation.
Following Hafiz Naeem’s detention, party workers also presented themselves for arrest. A scuffle also broke out between the party workers and police.
A heavy contingent of police is present at the site, having more than 70 policemen.
JI Ameer Senator Siraj-ul Haq protested the arrest of the party leader.
Following their leader’s arrest, the workers blocked both the tracks of the Shahra-e-Faisal.
Police reached the spot and started tear gas shelling and aerial shelling to disperse protesters. More contingents of police were called in to control the situation, as protesters also resorted to pelting stones.
People were faced with great difficulty and started using footpaths as alternative routes.
Police tried to negotiate with the party’s leadership to end the protest. The JI workers who were earlier protesting at the MA Jinnah road also tried to reach Shahra-e-Faisal.
Earlier, Hafiz Naeem held a press conference, where he said that the issue is not related to the party’s protest at Shahra-e-Faisal but of going against the KE.
He said that the party does not want to disrupt the peace of the city, adding that the JI only planned to protest against overcharging of electricity consumers.
The JI spokesman said that police has blocked routes coming from and to the JI institution, adding that police mobiles and water tankers have been put in place to block the routes.
Hafiz Naeem said that arrests have also been made in the past, adding that his party is peaceful.
He said that the party’s scheduled protest against Karachi Electric corporation will be held as per schedule.
JI Amir Siraj-ul-Haq condemned the arrests, saying that police cannot stop the party from protest through such acts.
Sit-ins, gatherings, and protests are a democratic right of people, he said.
According to the spokesman, at the time of crackdown, Hafiz Naeem was also present at the building.
The JI workers were to protest against the recent hike in the tariff of the Karachi Electric corporation (KE) today at Shahra-e-Faisal.
