Alleged police firing on women sparks blockade of national highway

KARACHI: A family is protesting on the National Highway near Ghaghir toll plaza for the past 22 hours, demanding justice for the death of their relative in a police firing incident in Karachi’s Steel Town area.

The protest has caused severe traffic congestion, stranding thousands of people on the highway between Karachi and Thatta.

The incident occurred on July 5 when a 60-year-old woman was killed and her 19-year-old daughter injured in a shooting while traveling in their car on the National Highway near Gulshan-e-Hadid.

Police claimed the family was caught in crossfire between police and fleeing suspects, alleging that the suspects fired at the family’s car.

However, the family vehemently denies this claim, accusing the police of directly firing upon their vehicle, mistaking them for criminals.

They maintain that the suspects’ car was ahead of theirs, and photos circulating on social media show the family’s car with damage from a rear-end collision.

Eyewitnesses say the victims car was travelling ahead of the suspects’ car.

The protesters, who have been on the highway since 2 PM Saturday, are demanding the registration of a case against the SSP, SHO of Gulshan-e-Hadid, and the police team involved in the incident. They refuse to disperse until their demands are met.

The protest has caused immense inconvenience to commuters, with many stranded for hours without food or water. The traffic police are diverting traffic to alternative routes, but the congestion remains severe.