KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi greets his supporters during a rally in Hyderabad. Photo: INP
KARACHI/HYDERABAD:
The Sindh government on Saturday allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah, issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) with conditions, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi vowed to press ahead with a nationwide street movement under the leadership of jailed party supremo Imran Khan, undeterred by the resistance faced elsewhere.
According to officials, the NOC was issued by the deputy commissioner, East. Sindh Chief Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a statement that the PTI rally would be held on Sunday (today) at Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground.
He said the NOC had been issued subject to conditions under which the organizers would take full responsibility for maintaining law and order.
He said no provocative sectarian speeches, materials or speeches, nor any speech against Pakistan or state institutions, would be allowed.
Maintaining smooth traffic flow during the rally would be the responsibility of the organizers. The program would have to conclude ahead of schedule, and district administration would retain the authority to cancel the permit for safety reasons.
The approval comes weeks after Afridi headed to Lahore, where PTI leaders complained of obstacles, restrictions and the denial of permission to hold a public rally, an experience the prime minister later cited as emblematic of the shrinking political space.
Meanwhile, addressing political rallies in Sindh, CM Afridi said the national struggle for “real freedom” under the leadership of Imran Khan was continuing with full momentum, with the aim of safeguarding a free media, an independent judiciary and the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.
He said the movement would continue until Imran Khan’s vision of national sovereignty, public welfare and constitutional supremacy was realized, adding that preparations for a street movement were underway and he would approach all conscious and patriotic citizens to join the fight.
He said that whenever Imran Khan made the call, the public would respond in full force.
The prime minister was speaking at a reception hosted by Syed Zain Shah, president of the Sindh United Party, during his visit to Jamshoro, where he thanked the party workers and supporters for the warm welcome.
He said it was encouraging that the Sindh United Party was actively participating in the fight for the fundamental rights of the people of Sindh, which he described as essential to strengthen democratic values.
‘Zardari has ended Bhutto’s legacy’
Commenting on the political situation in Sindh, Afridi said that Asif Ali Zardari had effectively ended the political legacy of Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and that Sindh was now under Zardari’s control.
He said it was unfortunate that a party that claimed to uphold the Constitution and the 18th Amendment had altered the constitutional structure through the 26th and 27th Amendments, which he claimed had undermined democratic principles.
He said that despite closing the gates of Jinnah Garden, a public rally would be held and a clear message would be sent that Sindh belonged to Imran Khan and would continue to do so.
Earlier in Karachi, Afridi addressed PTI workers in Qayyumabad and Korangi, and then spoke to the media before leaving for Hyderabad. He said the huge turnout and enthusiastic response in Karachi proved that Imran Khan remained the country’s most popular political leader, adding that the city’s streets, markets and public gatherings were refuting claims about the end of Imran’s political role.
He announced that a huge rally would be held at Jinnah Ground on Sunday, calling for one of the largest public gatherings in the history of Karachi.
He said that at a single call from the unjustly imprisoned Imran Khan, people were ready to take to the streets and the response showed that Karachi was fully prepared for the movement.
Drawing historical parallels, Afridi said transformation would come not through the return of figures like Muhammad bin Qasim or Tariq bin Ziyad, but by cultivating courage, determination and resolve within the people themselves.
He said the concept of “burning the ships” symbolized eliminating all options for retreat and moving forward with full commitment in the fight for constitutional supremacy. He added that the street movement would not be limited to one city but would spread across Pakistan, with each city becoming a Chowk Democrat.
Earlier, speaking to the media while leaving for Hyderabad, the chief minister said that an NOC for holding a rally near Mazar-e-Quaid was yet to be issued, though he said the Sindh government had shown a positive attitude.
He contrasted this with the Punjab government’s previous conduct, which he said is still clearly remembered.
He said Imran Khan had entrusted him with organizing preparations for the street movement, which was expected to intensify in the coming days. He added that the decision on whether to continue with the protest or negotiations would be taken by Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) and would be fully supported.
He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had expressed confidence in PTI for the third time and in response, welfare initiatives such as free medical coverage had been extended to the entire province.
He also said that engagements would be held with KP residents living in Sindh to listen to their concerns, which would be taken up directly with the Sindh Chief Minister to ensure that their legitimate issues were addressed.
Sindh is treated like stepson
Reminding Sindh of KP’s repeated support for the former’s rights over the Indus River, Afridi also urged the people of Sindh to fight the case of their province, which, in his opinion, is receiving “stepmotherly treatment” by the Centre.
Addressing party workers, lawyers and press in Hyderabad and Jamshoro, Afridi also asked his followers to prepare for the PTI’s street movement, which will soon be called against the incumbent government.
“Even institutions that have a role to play in strengthening democracy are treating KP like a stepmother.”
Talks about the rights of the KP and tribal areas dominated the speeches, as well as Afridi’s questions and answers to the press, compared to the mention of PTI leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
However, he continued to regret that the country’s judicial system has denied freedom from imprisonment to its leader. “Imran Khan can be released within 30 minutes if the judiciary gives its orders independently.” The CM reiterated his party and his provincial government’s rejection of the military operation in the KP and the tribal areas.
He maintained that Khan’s firm stance while seeking true democracy, supremacy of law and constitution, restoration of free judiciary and free media should not be considered his obstinacy. He believed that the people of the country should fight to achieve the same goals.
Afridi told the lawyers that his party was distressed when they witnessed neither lawyers nor judges reacting strongly against the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, which they felt had deprived the judiciary of its authority. “But time is not wasted, as more amendments are on the way to weaken the law and the Constitution.”
He urged lawyers to lead a movement for the supremacy of the law and the constitution.
‘The PPP deformed the fundamental structure of the Constitution’
He blamed the PPP for deforming the fundamental structure of the constitution by giving its support to the 26th constitutional amendment. He lamented that the Armed Forces treat him like a pariah, noting that heads of government in other provinces are offered Air Force planes for their travels and even “to bring them breakfast,” but he is denied the same treatment.
Afridi reminded the center that he represented 45 million people in his province and that his individual personality should not be the subject of controversy. The CM reiterated his government stance that he was denied a fair share of the allocation from the National Finance Commission (NFC) as additional allocation is yet to be allocated for the erstwhile tribal areas that are now part of the KP.
He also deplored the federal government’s lack of interest in infrastructure development in KP, pointing out that the Peshawar Northern Ring Road, the construction of which began in 2010 at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore, is still not completed.
The CM maintained that since the Center did not contribute its share for the project, its cost has increased tenfold to Rs 31 billion.
Responding to a question on DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement about a nexus in KP with terrorists, the CM said he strongly rejected such stance and condemned it. He recalled that a 15-point agenda for the center prepared by a conglomerate of KP political and religious parties also underlined that the military operation did not provide a solution to the problem.
He then accused the center of failing to fulfill its promises to compensate those displaced from the tribal areas subjected to the military operation. Afridi said people were evicted from Baka Khel in Bannu district with the promise of compensation from the centre.
However, he claimed, his provincial government ended up paying 7.5 billion rupees to the displaced people because the federal government failed to fulfill its commitment.
He said people have been deprived of their rights to their natural resources.
Shah, for his part, said that they reject all constitutional amendments enacted since 2022. He stated that the TTAP wanted to protect the country’s constitution. He stated that thousands of lives have been lost for Sindh to exist as an autonomous province in the country, but the struggle continues.
With contributions from the Karachi correspondent
