KP CM determined to hold Karachi rally as PTI convoy en route to Hyderabad

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday voiced his determination to hold a rally in Karachi despite any possible hurdles as his convoy reached Tando Allahyar.

The KP CM, accompanied by PTI’s provincial President Junaid Akbar, has been on a five-day public mobilisation campaign in Sindh for the party’s September 27 nationwide protest for the release of its founder Imran Khan and his immediate medical treatment at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital.

While the PTI in a statement alleged that routes were blocked for its caravan “travelling from Hyderabad to Karachi”, the police denied any such move.

Hyderabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shahzeb Chachar told Dawn that there was no blockade at Tandojam Toll Plaza, which connects Hyderabad with Tando Allahyar district, “as far as the KP CM’s rally in Hyderabad was concerned”.

In a video recorded in a car, CM Afridi said that it was “possible they might have created some hurdles in the way”, but the party convoy would defy them to reach Hyderabad, and then finally Karachi.

Thanking the people from Umerkot for their support yesterday, the PTI leader also asked the people of Hyderabad to be prepared for the PTI caravan.

“After Hyderabad, we will be in Karachi by the evening,” the KP CM declared.

PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, who was accompanying the KP CM, shared a video of him driving a truck, which he claimed was placed to block his convoy’s route in Tando Allahyar.

Sheikh later shared videos of what he described as the people of Hyderabad welcoming the PTI convoy.

In a statement, the PTI condemned the alleged blocking of its rally travelling from Hyderabad to Karachi and also claimed its party workers in multiple cities of Sindh had been taken into custody.

The statement marked a turn from Saturday’s exchange on social media between CM Afridi and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

“On the one hand, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari welcomes Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI’s visit to Sindh on social media; on the other hand, the Sindh government, under his influence, is using the police to block roads and arrest PTI workers,” the PTI said.

It termed the alleged actions a “manifestation of the PPP’s blatant political hypocrisy and fear”. “If the PPP truly believes in democracy and political freedom, then why is it so afraid of a peaceful PTI political rally?” PTI asked.

PTI asserted that the police deployments, barriers and arrests could not prevent its party workers and the people of Sindh from exercising their political rights.

“The PTI leadership made it clear that the people of Sindh are not slaves to feudal or dynastic politics. They have the right to welcome leaders of the political party of their choice, voice their concerns and express their political opinion,” the party maintained.

It demanded that the PPP chairman direct his Sindh government to ensure “political freedom in practice”.

“If the welcome is limited to Twitter while police arrest workers on the ground, this is not democracy but political theatrics.”

The party also demanded the immediate release of all workers allegedly taken into custody in Hyderabad, Karachi and other parts of Sindh, as well as an end to any obstruction to the PTI’s political activities.

‘Politics of tolerance’

On Saturday night, Afridi thanked Bilawal after the latter wished him the best for the rest of his visit to Sindh.

In a post on X, the PPP leader welcomed Afridi to the “city of martyrs” after the KP chief minister reached Larkana.

“Best wishes for the remainder of your tour across Sindh. We must ultimately return to a politics of tolerance, respect and coexistence, the foundation of any democracy,” Bilawal wrote.

In response, Afridi thanked him and noted that the “beauty of democracy is in freedom of politics and expression, independence of judiciary, acceptance of public mandate, an independent parliament and press being free”.

He also expressed hope that a large crowd would come out on the PTI’s call in Karachi and Hyderabad, where he is due today.

Last time Afridi was in Sindh to mobilise people for a street movement, he had initially praised the PPP-led Sindh government’s reception, saying the democratic legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto still thrived in the province. However, he had later accused the Sindh government of not upholding the honour of the ajrak and topi and criticised its treatment of its “guests”.

Ahead of Afridi’s rally in Karachi on January 11, the party had alleged that the KP CM had to face obstacles on his way to the metropolis. The party also accused the authorities of violence against its workers and supporters.