Workers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) resorted to violence on Monday night and clashed with each other near the Hakeem Saeed Ground in Gulshan-i-Iqbal area of Karachi — where both the parties want to hold a political gathering on May 12.

Gulshan SP Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto told Dawn that activists of both the parties hurled stones at each other.

Tension prevailed in the area throughout the day on Monday as both the parties remained at loggerheads over the matter. There were reports that members of both the parties ransacked the tents and camps of their political opponents and set them on fire.

Unidentified suspects also torched "a vehicle or two" on main University Road, said senior police official.

PTI leader Khurram Sherzaman condemned the incident and urged the DG Rangers Sindh to take notice of the matter.

He alleged that PTI activists were “attacked by the terrorists of PPP”. He also criticised the alleged inaction by police as it failed to control the violent situation.

Later, police and Rangers personnel reached the location and dispersed the violent mob and controlled the situation after an hour or two.

All shopping and commercial centres in the vicinity remained closed due to the tense situation. Both tracks of the University Road were blocked as a result traffic was suspended from Hassan Square to NIPA.

PTI Karachi spokesperson Jamal Siddiqui told Dawn that some “PTI workers sustained injuries due to the pelting of stones”.

Siddiqui alleged that the PPP provincial government has adopted a policy of “state terror” against PTI, “which negated the PPP’s democratic character”.

He recalled the recent rallies of PPP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI’s provincial government provided protocol to both Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari.

However, the PPP government in Sindh has adopted high handed tactics to sabotage their rally, Siddiqui said.

PPP Sindh leader Waqar Mehdi told Dawn that PTI workers have adopted violent tactics against their workers. “They pelted stones on our workers which caused injuries to six workers who have been shifted to Jinnah hospital for treatment,” he said.

The PPP provincial leader claimed that district administration has given permission to PPP to hold a rally at Hakeem Saeed Ground near Federal Urdu University and that the ground has been handed over to them.

He was of the view that PTI had no permission to hold the rally at the same venue on May 12.

Earlier in the day, Commissioner Karachi and Deputy Commissioner East held talks with representatives of both the parties, however, it did not yield any positive result.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the clash between the PPP and PTI workers. He said PPP followed proper procedure and sought permission for holding the rally.

“We have not barred anyone from holding the rally,” vowed the chief minister, adding that this was a ‘move’ to spoil the peaceful atmosphere in the metropolis.