Roads blocked, traffic congested in Karachi’s PIDC area due to lawyers' protest

Karachi's PIDC area faced traffic congestion and blocked roads on Thursday due to a protest by lawyers, according to wire reports. By approximately 5:40pm, the rally had neared the Sindh Chief Minister's House, with a significant police presence, including female officers, deployed to manage the situation. Traffic police updates indicated that MT Khan Road was partially closed for traffic, and the Sultanabad Traffic Post towards PIDC Chowk and MT Khan Road saw closures.

The Karachi Traffic Police issued an alert at 4:06pm, reporting that Sultanabad Traffic Post and MT Khan Road were closed for traffic, with an alternate route suggested through Mai Kolachi Road and Boat Basin. Further closures were noted, including Aiwan-i-Sadr Road from Fountain Chowk towards Thana Gali, and both lanes of Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road from PIDC towards the Ziauddin signal.

This led to traffic snarl on Khayaban-i-Iqbal Road, Sindh Club Road, Din Muhammad Wafai Road, and Jinnah Bridge, as police managed the flow despite the slow-moving protest.

A lawyer involved in the protest disclosed 14 demands to the news outlet, primarily focused on the creation of new administrative units or provinces within Sindh. Various political parties echoed calls for additional provinces or administrative divisions for improved governance, with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) advocating for Karachi's separation from Sindh. However, the PPP, currently ruling Sindh alongside MQM-P, staunchly opposed the idea.