KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Friday staged protest sit-ins at 13 major points across Karachi, demanding protection for citizens from deadly traffic accidents, armed criminals, and unsafe urban infrastructure. The protests highlighted growing public anger over reckless driving by heavy vehicles, rising street crime, and uncovered manholes.
Protesters carrying placards and banners chanted slogans against lawlessness and poor governance. They blamed corruption and mismanagement by the Sindh government for worsening safety conditions in the city.
Earlier in the day, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters, Idara Noor-i-Haq. He later joined one of the sit-ins to reiterate the party’s demands.
Karachi Bleeds While the Government Looks Away
Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi held protest sit-ins at 13 major locations across the city to raise its voice against the daily killings of Karachiites caused by heavy traffic, street crime, and open manholes turned into death traps.This… pic.twitter.com/2Ytkw19I1D
— Jamaat e Islami Karachi (@KarachiJamaat) December 19, 2025
Zafar said that 254 people had been killed and nearly 12,000 injured this year due to accidents involving heavy vehicles. He added that 25 Karachi residents were shot dead by robbers, while 24 others, including children, lost their lives after falling into open manholes and gutters.
He criticised the Sindh government for focusing on issuing e-challans instead of addressing life-threatening issues. According to him, the Pakistan Peoples Party’s governance in Sindh reflected incompetence, corruption, and mismanagement.
Zafar accused the PPP-led provincial government of destroying Karachi’s institutions and controlling its resources, leaving the city vulnerable to crime and infrastructural decay. He said citizens and the business community were suffering due to extortion and lack of effective law enforcement.
“Our demands are clear,” he said, calling for strict regulation of heavy traffic, protection from armed criminals, and restoration of Karachi’s infrastructure. He also demanded security for traders against organised extortion networks.
JI sit-ins were held at several major arteries, including National Highway at Kala Board, M.A. Jinnah Road, University Road, Korangi Crossing, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Shahrah-e-Orangi, Garden Office, and Sohrab Goth Superhighway. The protests disrupted traffic at multiple locations while drawing attention to Karachi’s mounting safety challenges.