Protesters face gunfire as dumper death triggers clash in Karachi

• Witnesses say protesters set vehicle on fire after deadly accident.
• Association leaders arrive with armed guards, triggering protests.
• Crowd confronts Mehsud; guard fires warning shots while leaving.
  

Another motorcycle rider was killed after being struck by a dumper on Nishtar Road in Karachi’s Ramswami area, near Garden, police said on Monday, in an incident that sparked anger among residents who set the vehicle ablaze.

According to police officials, the deceased has been identified as Shahzaib, a resident of Garden. 

His wife was also injured in the crash and is critical in the hospital, according to the hospital sources. 

Dumper driver Niaz Hussain, who initially fled the scene, was arrested, taken to Garden police station, and is now being interrogated while his record is checked and CCTV footage collected.

Soon after the accident, Dumper Association leaders, led by its president, Liaquat Mehsud, appeared at the scene flanked by armed guards, igniting fury among the protesters and setting off a tense, shouting confrontation.

Witnesses said the crowd came down hard on Mehsud, asking him to take the responsibility, and one of his guards fired shots in the air as they left.

Governor says guns on roads 'unacceptable'

Reacting to the development, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori  condemned the public display of weapons and firing in Karachi, saying that "citizens being threatened with guns is completely unacceptable."

He urged the Inspector General of Police, Sindh, to take notice and ensure legal action against the driver.

The governor expressed condolences to Shahzaib’s family and said the injured wife should receive all possible medical care.

 He added that heavy fines are being imposed for traffic violations in Karachi and warned that those causing deaths in road accidents must face exemplary punishment.

Later, protesters set the half-burnt dumper on fire again, and authorities called in heavy machinery to remove the vehicle from the road.

Mehsud warns of blocking highway

Mehsud, in a late statement, said he had phoned the relevant SSP, urging him to rush additional police personnel to the area. 

The Dumper Association leader added that he stood with the family of the deceased and would visit their home and the hospital to offer condolences.

According to Mehsud, the local SHO had asked him to come to the spot, assuring him that legal action would be taken. He said he and 15–20 association members reached the location, where a large crowd had already gathered.

He claimed the situation turned violent and that he was attacked with the intent to kill, and warned that the Dumper Association would block the National Highway in protest.  

Association justifies shooting 

Dumper Association has alleged that its president, Liaquat Mehsud, was attacked in Karachi’s Ramswami area following Monday’s fatal accident.

According to the association, unidentified men opened fire on Mehsud’s vehicle, while an angry crowd also tried to set his car on fire during the chaos.

The group claims the incident unfolded as tensions escalated at the scene after the motorcycle rider’s death.

Karachiites continue to suffer from the deadly traffic environment, with accidents killing over 536 people in 2025 so far — of which 60 deaths occurred in accidents involving trucks, according to police.

The metropolitan city has witnessed scores of traffic accidents in the ongoing year, which often resulted in fatalities, prompting angry mobs to torch the vehicles involved on many occasions.