Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon addresses the press conference in Karachi on Tuesday. Photo: Express
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of trying to replicate the events of May 9 during Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s recent visit to Karachi. He said the provincial government showed restraint and refrained from registering any case despite repeated provocations.
Last week, CM Afridi visited Sindh, held a rally in Karachi and also visited Hyderabad and Jamshoro during his four-day trip. The rally, originally scheduled for Bagh-e-Jinnah, was disrupted en route, with the PTI alleging that authorities had blocked key routes to prevent party workers from reaching the venue and had placed containers along the CM’s route. Despite roadblocks, the overwhelming turnout at the venue forced him to address his supporters at Numaish Chowrangi.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government showed patience and tolerance but their decency was taken advantage of. He made it clear that the provincial administration would not allow any strike due to traffic jams on February 8.
Memon said that a few days earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister had visited Karachi and upon learning about the visit, the Sindh government contacted him to ensure complete security and necessary facilities. He added that a threat alert had also been received in advance, but that it was deliberately not made public to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
According to the Information Minister, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah had contacted the PTI leaders and the talks initially continued in a positive atmosphere. “Provincial Minister Saeed Ghani welcomed the PTI leaders and on the first day it was mutually agreed that certain areas would be visited while others would be avoided for security reasons,” he said. However, he added, the PTI leaders headed to the Central District despite being advised otherwise.
Read: KP CM thanks people of Sindh, criticizes provincial government for treatment of PTI
“What would the Sindh government have gained if it had been deadlocked for a few hours?” —Memon asked. “What would we gain by keeping you stuck in traffic for four hours?”
Referring to permission for a PTI rally, Memon said the approval had been sought verbally and had already been granted. He added that five minutes after receiving written permission, PTI leaders issued a statement announcing that they would not hold the rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah and would instead hold it on the road. He said that before any rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah, the traffic police prepares a comprehensive plan, and Nasir Shah had even offered the KP chief minister additional support, including manpower, if required.
Memon alleged that the PTI once again tried to engineer an incident similar to that of May 9, alleging that despite stone-pelting on police, vandalism of media vehicles and misconduct with women journalists, the Sindh government did not register any case. He described such behavior as part of the PTI’s political tradition and said it reflected a mentality shaped by a leadership that promotes chaos and rebellion.
Despite these incidents, he said, no case was registered against the PTI. “Their politics are based on disorder, while ours is democratic,” Memon said, adding that the provincial government’s decency was unfairly exploited. He accused the PTI of conspiring against Pakistan and its institutions and said that despite hospitality and clear ideological differences, the Sindh government responded with restraint.
Reiterating his stance, the Information Minister said the Sindh government would not allow a strike to jam the wheels on February 8.
Read also: Government reprimands CM Afridi for his comment on tests
Memon said PTI leaders received respect that they themselves had never extended to the provincial government. He added that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s agenda had already been fixed, but the message was conveyed that if he could not come, Sindh leaders were willing to visit him.
He further alleged that PTI deliberately chose prohibited routes and locations, attempted to enter areas where permission had been denied and violated administrative instructions. “The question is what mission they were on; only God knows,” he said, adding that PTI later raised objections after deliberately using restricted routes.
The information minister also criticized the policies of the former PTI-led government towards militant groups and asked if people had forgotten the discussions on opening Taliban offices in Pakistan. He questioned who had ordered the release of Taliban leaders arrested during Pakistan People’s Party rule. “Operations against the Taliban were carried out during the PPP government, but after Imran Khan came to power and Shah Mahmood Qureshi became foreign minister, the same Taliban leaders were released,” he said.
He alleged that those convicted and detained were released without following legal procedures or going to court. “If a government wants to release convicted people, it must respect the law and the courts,” he said, adding that during that period the courts were bypassed and Taliban leaders were released.
