In a significant development, Karachi commissioner on Friday imposed Section 144 in the city’s central district following a spree of mob attacks o KFC branches, in an apparent guise of solidarity with Palestine.
Earlier this week, multiple branches of KFC were attacked across the country, including in Karachi.
The assailants vandalised and torched those restaurants which are boycotted in solidarity with victims of Gaza genocide.
Furthermore, the city of lights witnessed more destruction as mobs gathered to burn at least 9 dumper trucks and water tankers on the night of April 9 after a motorcyclist was killed in an accident.
There has been increasing trend of dumper trucks getting involved in accidents, putting the lives of other commuters, particularly bike riders, at risk.
Karachi Police arrested 19 suspects who set fire to the trucks and charged them with terrorism along with other offences.
According to police, the group which burned downed and attacked the KFC and other international fast-food chain restaurants, also torched the dumpers.
“The situation warrants immediate action, as there exist sufficient grounds to proceed under section 144 CrPC in order to maintain law and order and to prevent any untoward incident,” the police official stated.
Read more: Mufti Taqi Usmani speaks out against mob violence on KFC Pakistan
Senior religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani on Thursday condemned the recent spree of mob attacks against food-chain restaurants including KFC Pakistan, calling for peaceful boycott instead. Mufti Taqi Usmani, a former Federal Shariat Court Judge and a globally renowned Islamic jurist, while talking to media clarified that people must boycott products in support of Palestine without harming lives and properties.
His remarks came in the backdrop of recent multiple attacks on restaurants in which mobs vandalised and burned the food establishments. Miscreants belonging to right-wing religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were arrested on Tuesday following a mob attack on Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC Pakistan) in Karachi’s DHA.
On Wednesday, another restaurant in Lahore’s DHA area came under attack after people pelted the building with stones and damaging the property. On Tuesday, the mob attacked a restaurant in Mipurkhas, setting it on fire. Similarly, over a 100 members of TLP gathered in an attempt to attack yet another outlet of fast-food chain on M-9 Motorway on Wednesday evening. However, this attack remained unsuccessful as police arrived on the scene within time.
Furthermore, Larakana Police have booked eight suspects today who attacked KFC Pakistan restaurant in Larkana last night. “Islam is a religion of balance. It is not a religion of vandalising [property] or hurting someone by merely getting carried away by emotions,” stated the religious scholar.
