The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Karachi chapter Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has been arrested near Karachi's Islamia Science College as the party attempted to stage a sit-in on Sharea Faisal against what it termed a 'nexus' of K-Electric and the government.
Three other members of the party were also arrested earlier today, police said.
A heavy contingent of police was deployed around the party's offices in Karachi to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the premises, JI spokesman.
The party had announced a campaign against KE by staging protests across the city, denouncing the ‘high tariff’ and ‘exorbitant billing’ being collected by the KE from the people for the past five years.
Superintendent Police Gulshan Fahad Ahmed said an 'illegal gathering' of the JI camp on Sharea Faisal had been removed and three people arrested.
"All persons gathering at Sharea Faisal in an unlawful assembly of five or more people will be immediately arrested and First Information Reports registered," he added.
Earlier, the SP had said that all efforts were made to prevent the JI sit-in. "However, the organisers have not paid any heed to the request by the police department, so the police is left with no choice other than coercive action."
He claimed the police would attempt to stop the "illegal gathering" peacefully.
