Roads near Karachi Press Club closed ahead of planned PTI protest against rising fuel prices

KARACHI: Two roads leading to the Karachi Press Club (KPC) were closed off on Sunday, with the traffic police citing “security” reasons, ahead of a planned protest by the PTI against rising fuel prices.

In a statement issued at 11:50am, the Karachi Traffic Police (KTP) said both tracks of Din Mohammad Wafai Road were shut.

It added that Sarwar Shaheed Road from the Coast Guard Officers’ Mess towards Angle Chowk, Karachi Press Club was also closed for traffic.

The KTP cited “security” as the reason for the closure of the routes.

Detailing alternative routes, the KTP said traffic was being diverted from M.R. Kyani Road towards the street with the police station.

Vehicles coming from Fawara Chowk were being diverted towards Aiwan-i-Sadr and Zainab Market, while those coming from the Coast Guards’ Mess could go towards Passport Office, it added.

The KTP urged commuters to contact its helpline 1915 to find out alternative routes.

The roadblocks come ahead of a planned protest by the PTI against inflation and high petroleum prices, which have seen major increases over the past month due to the US-Israel war on Iran.

The PTI had announced a protest outside KPC at 4pm today against “rising inflation in the country and the increase in prices of petroleum products to record levels”.

Shortly after 2pm, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said the PPP-led “so-called democratic government had closed off the press club through its police”.

Sheikh stated that the PTI had called for “peaceful” protests today across Sindh, including at KPC.

“Where else should we go if not the press club?” he asked, quipping that some “favourite political parties” were even allowed to block Sharea Faisal for their gatherings.

Reiterating that the protest would be peaceful, the PTI leader called on the public to gather at the KPC at 4pm.

In January, roads leading to the KPC had been blocked for hours as lawyers, human rights activists and civil society members staged a protest against the conviction of Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha.