• Party leadership booked in terrorism, attempted murder case
• Maulana Shaheedi among 19 protesters sent to prison on judicial remand
• MWM demands release of held workers
• Observes ‘black day’ against police action
• Home minister justifies crackdown

KARACHI: While the Sindh government registered terrorism cases against leaders and workers of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) for Tuesday’s violence, the religio-political party on Wednesday night ended its sit-ins across the city.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, one track of the M.A. Jinnah Road near Numaish, Abul Hasan Ispahani Road near Abbas Town, University Road near Metro and Sharah-i-Pakistan near Anc­holi remained blocked by protesters, but the second track of these roads was open for vehicular traffic. However, the road leading to Kamran Chow­rangi in Gulistan-i-Jauhar remained completely clo­sed for traffic.

Likewise, the outlawed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) is also holding counter protests in Gulbai and Shahrah-i-Orangi, the traffic police said.

On late Wednesday night, the MWM leadership told a press conference that it wrapped up its protest sit-ins after a grand jirga in Kohat signed a peace deal.

Also on Wednesday, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar told a press conference that a total of 19 protesters were arrested and three separate cases were registered at the Soldier Bazaar, Sachal and Saudabad police stations over Tuesday’s violence at Numaish, Abbas Town and Malir-15 areas. He said hundreds of persons, including “known personalities”, were booked over “attempted murder and terror charges”.

While the home minister did not name any individual, senior MWM leaders — Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi, Allama Sadiq Jaferi, Allama Ali Mubashir Zaidi, Allama Mukhtar Imami and Maulana Asghar Shaheedi — were booked in a case registered at the Soldier Bazaar police station on behalf of the state.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was lodged under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The 19 held protesters, including Maulana Shaheedi, were produced before an antiterrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday, which sent them to prison on judicial remand.

Wounded man dies

One of the four persons injured during violence in Malir on Tuesday night died at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) during treatment, officials said.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that four gunshot victims were brought to the hospital from Malir. Three of them were identified as Ali Raza, 45, Qasim Zafar, 28, and Mohsin Anwar, 25, while the fourth, aged around 35, remained unidentified.

She said that the unidentified victim suffered bullet wounds in the abdomen and died at the surgical intensive care unit of the JPMC at around 4am.

Later, the victim was identified as Syed Shabih Hyder.

While the MWM identified him as a “participant of the Malir-15 sit-in”, a police source told Dawn that the victim was shot while returning home from his workplace.

Quoting his brother, Syed Taqi’s written statement to the Saudabad police, the source said the victim had left his home on a motorcycle in the morning to his workplace, a private firm, at Port Qasim. The brother said he got a phone call that his brother died during treatment at JPMC as he had “suffered two bullet injuries in the abdomen fired from an unknown direction on National Highway”.

Mr Taqi told the police that he did not want any legal proceedings since his brother “died of an accidental fire’.

Lanjar justifies police action

Speaking at the press conference, the home minister justified Tuesday’s police action to clear roads of protesters.

Accompanied by Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon and other officials, he said people and different communities were complaining about road blockades, which had become “a critical issue for us”.

“We were compelled to take action after the writ of the government was challenged,” he said, adding: “If anyone commits an illegal act, block roads and resorts to violence, we will take action.”

MWM warns of sit-in outside Bilawal House

Speaking at an earlier press conference at the Numaish sit-in on Wednesday, MWM leader Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi condemned the Tuesday police action and demanded immediate release of all held workers.

He said that the MWM had observed a black day in protest over the police action against peaceful protesters.

He warned of a sit-in outside Bilawal House if the arrested workers were not released.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2025