• IGP says MQM-H chief was arrested for ‘inciting people’
• Transporters block National Highway, Northern Bypass

KARACHI: Police on Tuesday evening picked up Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chairman Afaq Ahmed after unknown persons torched four heavy vehicles in the city during the day in what appeared to be incidents of vigilante justice.

Recently, the Sindh government had announced that heavy traffic could only be plied on city roads between 11pm and 6am. Following this announcement, unknown persons had started stopping heavy traffic found violating the ban during daytime in different parts of the city and checked driving licences and vehicles registration documents.

On Monday, the MQM-H chief had told a press conference that instead of relying on government promise of implementing the ban on movement of heavy vehicles during daytime “Mohajir youth should prepare themselves as the people will assume their responsibilities from Tuesday”.

Police said on Tuesday morning, unknown persons torched a trailer, two water tankers and a dumper trucks in Landhi, Awami Colony, Surjani Town and Sharifabad areas between 8am and 11:30am and set the vehicles on fire.

A Rescue-1122 official told Dawn that a vehicle carrying goods was set on fire in Landhi at around 8am while a 22-wheeler trailer was torched in Sharifabad at 9:45am. People also set fire to a water tanker within the limits of Awami Colony police at 10:10am while another was torched at Abdullah Mor in Surjani Town at 11:30am.

As a result of the loss of their vehicles, transporters and owners took to the street and blocked the National Highway in Bin Qasim and Northern Bypass in protest over the violent incidents.

The protesting drivers also gathered at the Jinnah Bridge but did not block the road.

Transporter Liaquat Mehsud blamed MQM chief Afaq Ahmed for the violent incidents and demanded the police to register a criminal case against him.

DIG-Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema told Dawn that the traffic was adversely affected on both highways for some time.

He added that the police held successful talks with them after which they dispersed and the roads were opened for vehicular traffic.

DIG Cheema said water tanker operators also announced suspension of their operations in the metropolis, but he held talks with them and persuaded them to end their protest.

He said he held talks with office-bearers of three different associations of the heavy vehicles and they agreed to follow instructions of the government.

In a late-night development, a heavy contingent of police raided the Defence residence of the MQM-H chief and took him into custody.

Confirming this to Dawn, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said that the MQM-H chief was arrested on charges of “instigating people for torching heavy vehicles in the metropolis this morning”.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2025