KARACHI - Life in port city returned to normal after a religious group ended its sit-in from MA Jinnah Road near Mazar-e-Quaid on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi while addressing a press conference in Faizabad, Islamabad at the protest site ordered his followers all over the country to end the sit-ins and go home. He also announced an end to the strike being observed today and called for opening businesses and shops.
After the weeks-long protest that virtually paralysed the capital and saw several people losing their lives, the government has finally given in to the demands of protesters camped out at Faizabad Interchange with Zahid Hamid resigning as the Federal Law Minister. In Karachi, people faced problems for last one week as activists of religious group blocked the main MA Jinnah Road and some other arteries of the mega city to press their demands. However, the citizens breathed a sigh of relief when this tormenting protest ended on Monday.
Business activities of the city also opened after the end of protest. Civil society organisation and especially, Pakistan Medical Associations have demanded of the government to ban every sort of political, religious and protest rallies and sit-in on key arteries of the city as peaceful movement of is the fundamental rights of the citizens.
Criticising government they said that due to weakness of government, key roads were blocked by violent mobs and other unruly groups while this mockery of law should now be stopped for good.
CHUP TAZIA PROCESSION HELD
Procession of 8th Rabiul Awal of “Chup Tazia” was taken out in city on Monday to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari (RA). The procession of Chup Tazia or silent Tazia is usually regarded as the last procession of the mourning period that begins in the Islamic month of Muharram. The participants on the day silently mourned.
The procession emerged from the Nishtar Park after Fajr prayers and culminated at Hussainia Iranian Imambargah after passing through its traditional route Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Father Jaminis Road, M.A. Jinnah Road, Preedy Street, Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Market Road, Mahabat Khanji Road and Atma Ram Pritam Das Road.
Similarly, another procession was taken out from Qasr-i-Musayyab of Rizvia Society in the afternoon to end at Shah-i-Najaf Imambargah on Martin Road after sunset.
At the occasion strict security measures were adopted by law enforcement agencies and MA Jinnah Road is completely closed for all types of traffics. Massive traffic jam was witnessed at the key roads of the city including Solider Bazar, Jamshed Road, Jail Chowrangi, Dada Bhoy Noorji Road, Kashmir Road and others. As per the traffic police, all the traffic coming from Saddar was diverted to corridor 3 while traffic coming from Tower was diverted to I I Chundrigarh Road.