On Tuesday, at least 11 people, including six police officers, were injured as Karachi police tried to disperse sit-ins across the city protesting recent killings in Parachinar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District.
The protests were organized by the religiopolitical group Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), which called for nationwide demonstrations to support the people of Parachinar. Residents there have been holding a sit-in since December 20, protesting ongoing violence, road closures, and the deteriorating law and order situation.
Protesters condemned the violence in Kurram, including an incident in which two individuals were killed and decapitated in the district’s Bagan area. MWM spokesperson Syed Ali Ahmer Zaidi accused the police of using tear gas and baton charges at “10 locations, including Abbas Town, Power House, and Kamran Chowrangi,” to clear the roads.
Zaidi noted, however, that protests continued at Numaish Chowrangi, Ancholi, and Rizvia Society. He criticized the authorities, calling their actions “state tyranny against peaceful protesters.”