KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Friday staged protest sit-ins at 13 major locations across Karachi, calling for urgent measures to protect citizens from fatal road accidents involving heavy vehicles, rising street crime, and public safety risks posed by uncovered and poorly maintained manholes.
The protests, held on key roads and intersections, disrupted traffic in several parts of the city. Demonstrators carrying placards and banners chanted slogans against what they described as worsening lawlessness and administrative failure. JI leaders and workers blamed “corruption and mismanagement” by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government for aggravating public safety concerns in the metropolis.
Earlier in the day, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters, Idara Noor-i-Haq, before joining one of the sit-ins. He cited statistics to highlight the scale of the problem, claiming that 254 people had been killed and around 12,000 injured this year in accidents involving heavy vehicles. He further stated that 25 residents had been shot dead by robbers, while 24 people, including children, had lost their lives after falling into open manholes and gutters.
Mr Zafar criticised the provincial government’s response, saying its focus appeared to be limited to issuing electronic traffic challans rather than addressing structural and enforcement issues. He accused the PPP of presiding over prolonged misgovernance in Sindh, alleging that Karachi’s civic institutions had deteriorated under its rule and that the city’s resources were being mismanaged.
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“Our demands are clear,” he said. “Citizens must be protected from heavy traffic and armed criminals. The business community should be freed from extortion and provided effective protection, Karachi’s infrastructure must be restored, and heavy vehicles must be regulated strictly in accordance with the law.”
The protesters carrying placards and banners chanted slogans against lawlessness. They said “corruption and mismanagement” on the part of the PPP government in Sindh had further aggravated the situation.https://t.co/JIxLs10K4m
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 20, 2025
The sit-ins were organised at prominent locations, including Kala Board on the National Highway, Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road, Dawood Chowrangi, Korangi Crossing, Power House Chowrangi in North Karachi, University Road near the Meteorological Department, Dolmen Mall Hyderi, Liaquatabad No. 10, Shahrah-e-Orangi No. 5, Garden Office on Hub River Road, Pracha Chowk in Sher Shah, and Sohrab Goth on the Superhighway.
The protests come amid growing public concern over traffic fatalities and street crime in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. While authorities have announced various initiatives in recent months to improve traffic management and law and order, opposition parties and civil society groups argue that enforcement remains weak and systemic issues unresolved.
No immediate response from the Sindh government was issued regarding the JI’s demands by the time of filing this report.
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