The roughly 2,000 protesters from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan group have blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls. The sit-in has already cost the life of at least one eight-year-old child whose ambulance could not reach a hospital in time due to the blocked roads, a statement from the Supreme Court has confirmed. He said it was “beyond understanding” how even a prime minister could fail to act on a court order, and branded the sit-in not freedom of expression but “anti-state activity”. The Islamabad High Court’s scolding came one day after the Supreme Court also rejected the government’s claim that using force on the protesters could result in injuries and deaths which would foment further unrest in the country. The protesters are demanding the resignation of federal law minister Zahid Hamid over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath election candidates must swear.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 24, 2017 14:03 UTC