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

Karachi traffic came to a standstill on Thursday due to a protest by lawyers, resulting in blocked roads leading to the Sindh Chief Minister’s House. Containers were set up in the PIDC area as the rally approached the Chief Minister’s residence. Around 5:40pm, the protest had reached nearby locations while a large police force, including female officers, was deployed. Police reported that roads were either obstructed or congested as a result of the demonstration.

The traffic police announced that MT Khan Road was partially shut for vehicles. At 4:06pm, an alert was issued, stating that the Sultanabad Traffic Post and MT Khan Road were closed for traffic near PIDC Chowk. An alternate route was suggested via Mai Kolachi Road and Boat Basin. AIwan-i-Sadr Road was subsequently closed from Fountain Chowk to Thana Gali, while both lanes of Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road were shut from PIDC toward the Ziauddin signal.

This caused severe traffic congestion on Khayaban-i-Iqbal Road from Teen Talwar to Sindh Club Chowk, as well as on Sindh Club Road, Din Muhammad Wafai Road, and Jinnah Bridge. Police were managing the traffic flow in response to the rally. A lawyer informed Dawn that the protesters were demanding 14 specific changes, such as the creation of new administrative units or provinces within Sindh.

Various political parties have supported the idea of forming additional provinces or administrative divisions to improve governance. One such demand was the separation of Karachi from Sindh, a proposal supported by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) but strongly opposed by the PPP.