In view of potential threats to law and order in Karachi, the Sindh Home Department has issued detention orders for 180 individuals under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
A formal notification in this regard has been issued. According to the notification, the list of 180 individuals to be detained under the MPO law includes 24 individuals from District Central, 21 from South, 51 from East, 23 from Keamari, 22 from Korangi, nine from Malir, and 30 from West.
The notification states that the individuals named in the list may block roads, stage sit-ins, and disrupt the law and order situation, which could pose a threat to public life and property. Orders have been issued to detain all listed individuals for 30 days, and they are to be arrested and shifted to the Malir Jail.
PTI’s reaction
Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) criticised the Sindh government’s crackdown on party workers and officials ahead of the party’s shutter-down strike on February 8, calling it an attempt to suppress peaceful political activity and comparing the province’s actions to Punjab’s past police excesses.
The party claimed that over 150 of its leaders and activists had been arrested to ensure that the strike was not observed. Sindh PTI President Haleem Adil Sheikh said the crackdown reflected a competition in brutality between the Sindh and Punjab governments.
“Punjab set a standard of barbarism, and Sindh is trying to outdo it. Perhaps Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wants to surpass Maryam Nawaz by more raids, more arrests, more oppression, as if there is an award for crushing peaceful politics,” he said.
Sheikh alleged that the Sindh police had conducted raids on PTI leaders’ and workers’ homes across Karachi and other districts, breaking doors and harassing party members. “Over 155 PTI leaders, workers and elected representatives have been arrested so far, and several others have been shifted to unknown locations,” he said.
He added that the February 8 strike would be entirely voluntary and peaceful. “We have not called for forced shop closures, vandalism or roadblocks. We are peaceful political actors who believe in constitutional and democratic struggle. Violence is not part of our politics. Arrests and police brutality cannot stop the PTI’s genuine movement for freedom,” he added.
The PTI leader accused the Sindh government of acting out of fear, launching the crackdown even before the voluntary strike could take place. “Breaking into political workers’ homes — what kind of democracy is this? The PPP is now outdoing Punjab Police in its excesses,” he said.
Sheikh added that the shutter-down strike was not for any individual party but it would be a protest against the ‘stolen’ public mandate. “If the mandate had not been hijacked, Imran Khan would be the prime minister today,” he said. He demanded immediate release of all detained leaders and activists and urged an end to illegal raids.
“This is a peaceful political struggle that cannot be suppressed by violence. On February 8, people themselves will carry out the wheel jam and shutter-down. Every PTI worker stands for the protection of the Constitution. Those held in unknown locations must be brought to light immediately. Arrests will only strengthen the movement,” Sheikh said.
Sindh PTI Vice President Rizwan Niazi claimed that dozens of party leaders, workers and elected representatives had been arrested, with some shifted to undisclosed locations. “The strike is entirely peaceful and public-driven. The PPP government has trampled on political freedom, and its claims are hollow. Arrests and intimidation cannot halt the movement. All detained workers must be released immediately, and illegal raids stopped,” he said.
Karachi PTI President Raja Azhar and General Secretary Arslan Khalid also criticised the police crackdown, calling it an “attempted dictatorship under the guise of democracy.”
