By Moin Ullah Shah
KARACHI: A case has been registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh and more than 100 party workers after a protest in Karachi’s Red Zone allegedly turned violent, police said on Monday.
According to authorities, 24 PTI workers involved in the demonstration and rioting were arrested, including former members of the National Assembly Alamgir Khan and Dawa Khan. The FIR was lodged at Artillery Maidan police station on behalf of the state over Sunday’s protest at Fawara Chowk. It includes charges of violating Section 144, vandalism, rioting, and other related offences.
Police had also deployed heavy contingents at Numaish Chowrangi, Teen Talwar Chowrangi, and Millennium Mall in Gulistan-e-Jauhar in anticipation of possible PTI protests elsewhere in the city. Global oil prices have surged sharply due to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. In a move to provide relief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reduced the petrol price to Rs378 per liter for a month and cut the petroleum levy by Rs80 per liter.
Police said around 150 PTI workers had gathered at Fawara Chowk under Sheikh’s leadership and were marching towards the Karachi Press Club. According to the FIR, the protesters were carrying party flags and sticks. Officials added that the demonstrators had been informed of the imposition of Section 144 in the Red Zone and the restrictions on movement.
However, when they were stopped, the protesters allegedly became agitated and attacked officers with sticks and stones. Additional personnel were called to the area, police said, during which 24 people were arrested while others managed to flee.
