Citywide Traffic Paralysis as MWM Sit-Ins Enter Fourth Day in Karachi

KARACHI: A wave of citywide protests led by the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) over the ongoing violence in Parachinar entered its fourth day on Friday, causing widespread traffic disruptions and significant inconvenience to residents across all seven districts of Karachi.

The demonstrations, which began earlier this week, have steadily expanded across the city. By late Friday evening, sit-ins were reported at key locations, including M.A. Jinnah Road near Numaish, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town, Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad, University Road near Samama Shopping Centre, Sharea Faisal near Star Gate, Korangi, the National Highway near Malir 15 and Steel Town, Shahrah-i-Pakistan near Ancholi, Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, and Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road in Nazimabad No. 1.

Similar demonstrations were also staged in other cities across Sindh, including Hyderabad and Sukkur, with large turnouts of MWM supporters, including women and children, braving the cold to participate.

Traffic Chaos Across Karachi

Despite efforts by the traffic police to redirect vehicles onto alternative routes, long queues of cars, trucks, and trailers were seen on most major roads well into the night. DIG-Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema stated that officers had been deployed in day and night shifts to manage the situation. However, disruptions were inevitable, with some international passengers reportedly missing their flights due to blockades on Sharea Faisal near Karachi Airport.

MWM Defends Protests

MWM leaders defended the sit-ins, calling them peaceful and blaming the government for any inconvenience caused to the public. Speaking at a press conference, Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi highlighted that their demonstrations were meant to express solidarity with the people of Parachinar, who have faced road closures and shortages of essential goods for nearly three months.

"Our protests are peaceful. Traffic is moving, and shops remain open near Numaish Chowrangi," said Naqvi. He dismissed the notion of a “Shia-Sunni conflict” in Parachinar and called on authorities to avoid framing the issue as sectarian. He alleged that Parachinar is surrounded by militants and criticized both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments for their inaction in resolving the crisis.

Criticism of Leadership

Naqvi lambasted the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for trivializing the Parachinar situation as a “local issue,” accusing him of fostering division. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the KP administration, despite MWM being an ally of the Imran Khan-led PTI, and called on the federal government to take decisive action, including targeted operations against militants in Parachinar.

Protests to Continue

The MWM leader reaffirmed that the protests in Karachi and other cities would persist until the demands of the Parachinar sit-in are addressed. As tensions remain high, the citizens of Karachi are left grappling with the disruptions caused by one of the largest and most sustained protest campaigns the city has seen in recent years.