Police forces employed tear gas and baton charges to break up and detain several activists involved in the Sindh Aman March.
The marchers were protesting against the killing of blasphemy suspect Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar.
Police have allegedly involved in the extrajudicial killing of Dr. Kunbhar. Many claimed he shared controversial posts on social media.
Police killed Dr Kunbhar in encounter in Mirpurkhas, reports say. It also raised serious concerns about extrajudicial actions and growing extremism in the region.
Human rights defenders, civil society groups and feminist movements organised the march to condemn the killing. They termed the incident a part of a broader trend of intolerance and misuse of blasphemy accusations in Sindh.
The demonstration sought accountability for what they believed was an unjust killing. They demanded justice for victim family, highlighting threat of extremism in Sindh.
Karachi administration imposed Section 144 in the city to stop the march. This led to clashes outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), where protestors resisted arrest. Police arrested renowned Sufi singer Saif Samejo, later releasing him. The Sindh Rawadari March organised the event.
Social media footage captured police aggressively dispersing the crowd, with some protestors, including women, being hit with batons.
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) also attempted to hold a counter-protest. Police also blocked their protest and clash between two sides also reported.
The president of the Karachi Press Club, Saeed Sarbazi, criticized the police for obstructing journalists from accessing the protest site, noting that the KPC is legally designated as a space where protests can be held without restrictions. Despite these assurances, the South Deputy Commissioner (DC) defended the imposition of Section 144, citing concerns about potential violence and the negative impression it could give to foreign dignitaries in Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
In the aftermath, senior police officials ordered the removal of barriers around the press club.
However, heavy police presence remained across key locations in Karachi, with officers checking and stopping vehicles to prevent further demonstrations. Protest organizers vowed to continue their fight for justice despite the police crackdown.
