KARACHI: Road closures and security measures brought severe traffic disruption to parts of Karachi as authorities denied PTI permission to hold a rally near Mazar-i-Quaid during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s political mobilisation in Sindh.
Containers were placed on roads leading towards the mausoleum, while the Green Line bus service was suspended, leaving commuters facing lengthy delays and diversions. Authorities said the measures were imposed following intelligence warnings of a security threat rather than specifically to obstruct PTI.
Several roads around the Superhighway, Shahrah-i-Quaideen and Rashid Minhas Road were affected, worsening congestion across surrounding areas.
Police also detained several PTI activists near Numaish intersection. Officials said some workers threw stones at police, injuring an officer, after which law enforcement personnel used tear gas to disperse them.
Afridi nevertheless reached the Karachi Toll Plaza early Monday after travelling from Hyderabad as part of his five-day Sindh campaign. PTI alleged that blockades, damaged roads and other obstacles had been deliberately used to delay his convoy.
Supporters gathered at the Toll Plaza to welcome the chief minister, whose tour is intended to build support for PTI’s planned September 27 nationwide mobilisation seeking the release and hospitalisation of former prime minister Imran Khan.