Workers clash with police; KP CM accuses Sindh govt of creating hurdles; He says that the movement of followers is “unstoppable”
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addresses a rally at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi. Photo: Express
KARACHI:
On Sunday, Imran Khan’s PTI finally managed to organize a rally in Karachi, the first outside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) since May 9, 2023, amid high drama, with KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi telling a crowd of supporters that the party’s street movement is now “unstoppable”.
Afridi had arrived in Karachi a couple of days ago to mobilize PTI workers ahead of the protest planned by opposition parties on February 8, the second anniversary of the 2024 general elections.
On arrival, CM Afridi was received by a provincial minister and the PPP government in Sindh a day earlier had also granted PTI permission to hold a rally at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, adjacent to the mausoleum of the Founder of the Nation.
However, this apparent bonhomie between the PTI and the PPP was short-lived.
According to PTI Sindh spokesperson, when PTI workers started making preparations for the rally at the designated location on Saturday night, Sindh Police took strong action, detained the workers and cleared the ground.
On Sunday morning, police put up barriers and blocked all routes leading to Bagh-e-Jinnah. When the workers arrived in the area in the form of demonstrations, the police began to make arrests.
Clashes also broke out between party workers and the police in which two officers, including a woman, suffered minor injuries. Unknown persons also damaged the DSNG vehicle.
During the clashes, workers threw stones at the police, who responded with batons to disperse them and arrested several people. A PTI Sindh spokesperson claimed that more than 35 workers were detained.
Subsequently, a large number of people entered the scene, after which the police withdrew.
The demonstration was scheduled for Sunday at 4:00 p.m. However, the central and provincial leadership of the party went to Gadap town to receive CM Sohail Afridi.
According to some reports, Afridi left for the rally site at 3:00 pm with a convoy, but later changed his schedule. Instead of heading directly to the venue, he made a six-hour tour of several areas before finally arriving at the rally venue.
However, the PTI spokesperson claimed that when the CM’s convoy left Gadap town towards the rally venue, the police tried to stop it by placing containers and barriers in various parts of the city.
He said heavy obstructions were created on the routes leading to Mazar-e-Quaid and the convoy had to constantly change its route, causing delays.
Meanwhile, due to lack of lighting, toilets and other basic facilities at Bagh-e-Jinnah, the workers left the place after the Maghrib prayers and moved to Numaish Chowrangi, where the PTI finally held its public meeting.
Addressing a rally late on Sunday night, CM Sohail Afridi said the government had treated the PTI unfairly in Punjab and the Sindh government had also failed to show fair conduct.
He accused the Sindh government of creating obstacles but said the public removed all barriers and made the meeting a success, adding that the fascism witnessed in Sindh will always be remembered.
However, he thanked the people of Sindh and expressed his sincere gratitude to the people of Karachi, saying that the public participation showed that the nation strongly supports Imran Khan.
“Those who believed that Imran Khan’s politics were over should come and see for themselves,” he said, adding that their movement cannot be stopped.
He said that when Imran Khan gives the call, the public is ready to come out and the people of Karachi have shown that a rally can be held even without facilities.
Afridi claimed that a crowd of hundreds of thousands had proven that the PTI was the representative party of Karachi. He criticized those who claimed to be defenders of democracy, saying that they had not defended democratic values.
He further alleged that the PPP had collectively altered the constitutional framework and claimed that a PPP dictatorship existed in Sindh. He said that the public was ready to march towards D-Chowk and was just waiting for Imran Khan’s call.
“We must remain prepared and maintain this fighting spirit,” he said. “We will not allow anyone to deprive us of our rights, nor will we allow anyone to keep the leader of the nation imprisoned without justification. Whenever Imran Khan gives the order, we will act accordingly.”
Earlier, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the Sindh government warmly welcomed CM Afridi but despite assurances, the PTI was not fulfilling its commitment.
He said that from the first day it was clearly stated that permission had been granted to hold a public meeting, despite this, leveling accusations against the Sindh Government is inappropriate.
“No one stopped the PTI from holding a rally at the designated place. The way rallies and processions are being held on the roads is causing serious traffic disruption and creating difficulties for ordinary citizens.
“Karachi is a metropolitan city where even the gathering of a few hundred people can lead to traffic problems. We want the KP CM to complete his visit smoothly and in an amicable manner,” he added.
