Normal life activities continued to remain adversely affected due to the protest sit-in on main thoroughfares in various parts of this port city against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi by the apex court in a case of blasphemy on second consecutive day (Thursday).
Transporters didn't bring public transport on many routes with a view to avoid attacks by arsonists whereas educational institutions, commercial markets, shopping malls, petrol pumps were also widely closed due to sit-in protests at some 20 locations in the city.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) claimed on social media that two of its supporters were shot dead allegedly by law-enforcers during an overnight clash. However, no official confirmation came from the government. Motorists, pedestrians, employees of government and private institutions faced immense hardships to reach their respective job places on time. Even the rescue ambulances faced problems in rushing patients to hospitals. Flights and Pakistan Railways train schedules also remained disturbed due to pandemonium on Wednesday and Thursday.
The passenger bus services also were badly affected. Work on development projects remained suspended elsewhere in the city, including on busy M.A Jinnah Road. As per traffic police, the protestors from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pakistan Sunni Tehreek continued sit-ins at Numaish Chowrangi and Star Gate in East Zone; Orangi No-5, Saeedabad, Baldia-4, Hub River, Jinnah Bridge, Bara Board, and Mauripur in West Zone; Teen Talwar, Tower, Ranchore Lane, and Ram Swami Shoe Market in South Zone; Sohrab Goth, Liaquatabad No-10, New Karachi, 4-K, Nagan Chowrangi, Nazimabad and Sakhi Hassan Roundabout in Central Zone' sit-in protests also continued in Korangi Bilal Chowrangi, Qayyumabad, Furniture Market, Landhi 89, Korangi Dhai Number and Teen Hatti till the filing of this report.
The protesters took to the streets against the Supreme Court's Wednesday verdict that exonerated Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman, who had been awarded death sentence on blasphemy charges and spent almost eight years behind the bars.
As the PTI-led federal government and opposition parties work out an understanding over how to act against religious demonstrators, some 14 religious groups, including Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have announced a nationwide strike on Friday against the SC decision.
Sensing the severity of the issue, All Sindh Private Schools Association (ASPSA) has announced that educational institutions would remain closed today. Meanwhile, Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) held a protest demonstration near Dawood Engineering College where the participants urged the SC to review its judgment.
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