Sindh Government Warns Against Violence as Strike Disrupts Karachi
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Thursday condemned incidents of arson and vandalism reported in Karachi during a nationwide strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami, warning that authorities would act against anyone damaging property or disrupting public order while recognising the party’s right to peaceful protest.
Memon said political activity could not be used as justification for creating unrest or endangering residents. He said the provincial government would protect public and private property and maintain the movement of citizens across Pakistan’s largest city.
His comments came as commercial activity was disrupted across Karachi during Jamaat-e-Islami’s September 3 shutter-down strike against the petroleum levy, inflation and other economic pressures. Major trader organisations had backed the protest, although participation was not universal.
Memon Says Peaceful Protest Is a Right
Memon explicitly acknowledged Jamaat-e-Islami’s right to protest but drew a distinction between peaceful political activity and violence.
He said those who set fires, block roads or damage property would face action under the law. The senior minister described attempts to spread fear under the cover of protest as a challenge to the rule of law.
His statement included politically forceful language about attempts to “hold Karachi hostage.” For neutral international reporting, that phrase should be presented as Memon’s characterisation, rather than as an established description of the strike.
Independent reporting confirms that large sections of Karachi’s business community voluntarily supported the shutdown. Major markets, shopping centres, electronics dealers and other trader groups announced closures ahead of Thursday’s action. Some wholesale food and medicine businesses, however, stayed outside the strike.
Arson Reported Near Korangi Crossing
The government’s warning followed reports of disturbances in parts of Karachi.
According to Express, unidentified people erected roadblocks and burned tyres near Korangi Crossing, while two motorcycles were also set on fire. Reports also emerged of businesses being forced to close in some areas.
Aaj reported similar incidents and said police were deployed in several locations amid disruption linked to the strike.
Crucially, the available reporting does not establish who carried out the arson or prove that Jamaat-e-Islami directed those incidents.
The people involved were described in the initial Express report as unidentified. Any attribution of the violence to a political party would therefore require evidence from the police investigation.
Sindh CM Orders Investigation
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incidents in Korangi and instructed the inspector general of Sindh Police to investigate immediately, according to Express.
The chief minister ordered police to maintain law and order around Korangi Crossing and identify and arrest those responsible for setting motorcycles on fire.
He also sought a complete investigation report and directed authorities to take action against those responsible without discrimination.
The order to investigate means responsibility for the incidents has not yet been finally established.
JI Strike Hits Commercial Activity
The unrest occurred against the backdrop of Jamaat-e-Islami’s nationwide campaign against the petroleum levy, inflation and electricity-related costs.
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had said before the strike that the action would be peaceful and that the party would decide its next course after assessing Thursday’s protest. He has also warned that the campaign could expand if the government does not address JI’s demands.
In Karachi, major commercial areas from Clifton to Saddar were affected, while traders in several other Sindh cities also participated. However, some business associations remained outside the shutdown, making descriptions of a complete citywide closure too broad.
The dispute centres primarily on the petroleum levy and broader economic pressures. JI argues that the levy imposes an excessive burden on consumers and has demanded its withdrawal. That assessment represents the party’s political and economic position rather than an independent finding.
Government Draws Line Between Protest and Violence
Memon’s statement indicates that the Sindh government is seeking to distinguish between the wider strike and specific acts of violence.
He said the government would not compromise on protecting citizens and their property and warned that people responsible for arson or vandalism would be brought before the law.
That distinction is important because traders’ voluntary participation in a strike, peaceful demonstrations, forced business closures and criminal acts such as arson involve separate factual and legal questions.
At the time of publication, there was no verified evidence in the sources reviewed establishing that Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership had ordered the reported arson in Karachi.
Police investigations into the Korangi incidents are expected to determine responsibility.
