Protests break out in Karachi over govt's move to arrest Imran.

KARACHI -- Dozens of workers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreeki-i-Insaf were rounded up amid tear gas shelling and baton charge during a sit-in at Five Star traffic intersection in North Nazimabad where, like 14 other places in the metropolis, dozens of activists and supporters of the party gathered on the call of protest against the siege of former prime minister Imran Khan's Lahore residence by the police.

Late in the evening, PTI's Karachi chapter president Aftab Siddiqi announced suspending all the sit-ins and demanded the release of over 20 held workers of the party.

The protests broke out across Karachi and some other parts of the province when PTI workers and supporters took to streets, blocked major road links, set old used tyres on fire demanding end to the siege of party chairman's residence.

A large number of workers and sympathisers, including women and children, staged sit-ins on main roads and lodged their protest.

Although the sit-ins largely remained peaceful, the situation turned ugly at some places, where police resorted to using tear gas and baton charge against protesters and arrested several party activists.

First it was the Five Star traffic intersection in North Nazimabad, where PTI workers 'insisted' on staging a sit-in on the main road and blocked the traffic upon which the police reacted to clear the busy thoroughfare.

'The police only reacted after the PTI local leaders defied all agreed terms,' said a police official, on the condition of anonymity. 'They had assured the police authorities that they would stage a protest on [traffic] island along the main Sher Shah Suri Road. But they came on the main road and blocked it. The police tried several times to convince them, but they remained unmoved. The police were unarmed and they only removed the protesters from the main road.'

However, footage going viral on social media from the site showed the police firing tear gas and running after protesters, including women, while the people were running for safety from the tear gas shells.

Scuffles between PTI workers and policemen were also witnessed on the Star Gate...