Karachi police release Fixit founder following brief detention

KARACHI: Police released on Sunday Fixit campaign founder Alamgir Khan, following his arrest from outside Karachi Press Club, according to SSP South. Khan, along with supporters, was earlier heading towards Chief Minister House to protest against the alleged misconduct of police.

Following his arrest, the campaign founder was shifted to Artillery Ground police station and a case was registered against him. 

Supporters and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members had also reached the police station in order to release Alamgir Khan. Although following his release, PTI's Arif Alvi and others ended the protest outside the CM House.

The founder of the non-political campaign, which claims to address the problems of common people and the supporters planned to protest outside the CM House today.

Before reaching the CM House, protesters started a demonstration in front of the press club and faced resistance from police.

Police resorted to tear gas shelling, aerial firing and use of water canon to disperse protesters.

According to police, it stopped the protesters from reaching the CM House as CM Sindh was not present there.

“We tried to tell them [the protesters] that Section 144 has been imposed in the city and offered them to march towards DIG South office or Commissioner Office instead,” said a police officer while speaking to the media at the site. 

“We warned them not to march towards the CM House but the protesters tried to take the law into their own hands and were becoming difficult to control,” the officer added.

Provincial Minister Nasir Khan also advised the protesters to protest outside the Governor House, however, the protesters did not pay heed to the instruction.

It is important to note that Section 144 has already been imposed in the city till the mid of April and the site of protest and surroundings are declared as high-security areas.

Campaigner Alamgir Khan's campaign is aimed at covering unsealed manholes in the metropolis and shot to fame by spray-painting the images of former CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah on open manholes and along the piles of garbage to draw attention to underlying administrative issues of the city.