KARACHI: A protest near the Karachi Press Club (KPC) caused traffic disruptions across Saddar Town, leaving a large number of commuters stuck in long queues for several hours on Wednesday evening.

Roads near the press club were closed ahead of a planned protest by the PTI to mark three years since the imprisonment of party founder Imr­an Khan and demand his release.

The PTI alleged that the police arrested more than ten workers in the metropolis, including Sial. The party further claimed that six PTI workers were arrested in Pano Aqil and fifteen workers in Kandhkot, with cases also registered against them.

Addressing the protesters, Sheikh demanded the immediate release of Dr Masroor Sial and all detained workers in Karachi, Pano Aqil and Kandhkot, while Raza Azhar said the PTI “formally submitted an application seeking permission for the peaceful protest, yet police still resorted to unlawful use of force”.

Sheikh also took to X and claimed that the route to the KPC had been blocked by containers, slamming the PPP government for sealing off the area.

“The Karachi Press Club is neither a Red Zone nor a sensitive security area, yet the PPP government has blocked public access and trampled the constitutional right to peaceful assembly,” he wrote.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the congestion and issued strict instructions to the Sindh inspector general and the Karachi additional inspector general to restore traffic flow.

“Traffic should be cleared from Sadar, Old City Area, MA Jinnah Road and Zainab Market immediately,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from his office. “Additional traffic police personnel should be deployed on the roads and a report should be submitted.”

He further ordered that queues of cars on Napier Road, Regal Chowk and Bolton Market should also be cleared.

Similarly, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought details from the Karachi Traffic deputy inspector general (DIG) on the traffic jams in the city, with a statement from his office saying that the cause behind the disruption should be determined.

“District police should help traffic police in clearing the roads and highways,” Lanjar was quoted as saying. “The difficulties faced by citizens should be immediately addressed.”

He ordered that traffic police personnel should be stationed on all major arteries and pressure points to manage the flow of traffic, adding that they need to be cleared immediately to restore traffic flow.

“In case of traffic flow being affected, alternative routes should be arranged immediately,” Lanjar added. “Citizens should face minimum difficulties; traffic flow should be ensured at all costs.”

Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

While imprisoned, Imran has not met his family or party leaders since his sister Uzma Khanum met him last December, despite a court order from the Islamabad High Court mandating meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

His sisters have staged regular sit-ins on Tuesdays, demanding meetings with the ex-premier and that he be treated for a severe eye condition.

His eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January and he receives government-provided treatment.

The government and the opposition have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran, and not allowing his personal physicians access to him. The government denies these allegations.

The opposition has also demanded that the former premier be shifted to Shifa International Hospital, be treated in the presence of his personal physicians and allowed to meet his family.