Khyber News

KARACHI: Police Tuesday used aerial firing and tear gas shelling against Shia Muslims in Karachi who were protesting against ban on Shia watchdog website and target killings in various parts of the country.

Following the use of tear gas and aerial firing, the participants of the rally became angry.

Angry protestors set fire to tyres and a bus on MA Jinnah road. Two persons were  arrested.

The rally tried to resume from the Quaids Mausoleum but police once again used aerial firing to stop it.

The Shia Action Committee was protesting the alleged ban of the website www.shiakilling.com, when they were stopped at downtown Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi.

The protestors were chanting anti-government slogans. When they reached Numaish Chowrangi, police tried to stop them, which led to an altercation between both parties. Police officials then resort to aerial firing. While the crowd dispersed to the nearby alleyways, some still managed to move past Numaish and continued with their agitation.

A website, which monitors and maintains a “death count” of Pakistani Shia Muslims targeted in sectarian violence, has been banned by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which operates on the directives of the Ministry of Information. Upon attempting to access the website, users are met with a “Access denied” message, a usual occurrence for banned websites.