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.

The PTI confirmed shortly after 5:30pm that the central leadership’s convoy led by CM Afridi had entered Hyderabad district.

Upon his arrival in Hyderabad, CM Afridi addressed a public rally, wherein he lashed out against the PML-N and PPP.

“There are only two families ruling Pakistan – one from Sindh and the other from Punjab – but it was only PTI whose leader Imran Khan chose me, an ordinary worker, to be the KP CM,” he said, referring to the PPP and PML-N.

“Tomorrow another worker is to become chief minister from PTI,” he added.

He urged youth to rise for their country and for themselves. “September 27 would mark a historic date and change the destiny of Pakistan,” he asserted, referring to the planned countrywide protest.

He assailed Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for her recent remarks regarding other provinces and demanded an apology from her. Maryam had said on Saturday that Punjab faced a greater security threat from its neighbouring provinces than it did from India.

“Please tell us who is right,” the KP CM said, addressing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general as he highlighted the military’s stance that India backed terrorist groups’ activities in Pakistan.

Accusing the Sharif family of tax evasion and having properties abroad, Afridi said, “These people were sincere neither in the past nor today and they will not be sincere tomorrow.”

Addressing the rally, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said that his party had faced enough cases, contending that courts’ doors have been shut on it. Raja described September 27 as the day of “true freedom” for people.

‘No rallies allowed’

Karachi’s District East police, in a statement, said that “no public gatherings, rallies or processions will be allowed around Mazar-i-Quaid”, located at Shahrah-i-Quaideen, where the PTI has planned its rally.

“If any gathering is held despite the lack of permission, legal action will be taken in accordance with the law,” it warned.

Security arrangements at Mazar-i-Quaid had been “further strengthened in view of the current threat situation”, the police statement added, noting the deployment of additional police personnel.

“Surveillance at the entry and exit points of Mazar-i-Quaid has also been further tightened.”

Meanwhile, the Karachi Traffic Police detailed that some routes around Mazar-i-Quaid had been closed to vehicles.

As of 6pm, the traffic police said the both sides of Shahrah-i-Quaideen had been closed for traffic for “security”.

As an alternative, traffic from Noorani Chowrangi was being diverted towards Khalid Bin Waleed Road, while traffic approaching Allah Wali Chowrangi was being diverted towards Tariq Road.

Shortly after 4pm, New MA Jinnah Road and the road near the Corridor-III parking plaza towards PP Chowrangi and Jail Chowrangi had been closed to traffic from both sides for security.

Traffic was being diverted from Saddar Dawakhana towards the Star Gate side, while traffic from Jail Chowrangi was being diverted towards Kashmir Road and Tariq Road.

Address in Tando Allahyar

Earlier, on his way to Hyderabad, Afridi addressed PTI workers in Tando Allahyar.

While thanking PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for welcoming him to Sindh on social media, Afridi alleged that hurdles were being created for his convoy.

“My message for Bilawal Bhutto is that obstructions are being raised in our way,” the KP CM said, affirming that people were still with PTI despite those hurdles.

“Containers are being placed and craters are being dug,” he claimed.

“Is this being done by your [PPP] government or by someone else?” Afridi asked. “Will they host their guests in this manner?” he added.

The PTI leader urged party supporters and workers to join the planned September 27 rallies across the country.

In a video shared on X, 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.

‘Political theatrics’

In a statement, the PTI condemned the alleged blocking of its caravan 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 cordial exchange on social media between CM Afridi and Bilawal.

“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.

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.

‘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.

Palestinian professional sports were brought to a halt in October 2023 when Israel began its military onslaught on Gaza, in which 1,014 Palestinian athletes were killed, according to the Palestinian Football Association’s tally.

On Friday, Jadallah was back at Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium in Al-Ram in the West Bank to call the opening match of the first tournament organised by the association in three years.

Though long awaited, the event was marked by contradicting emotions for Jadallah: “a feeling of joy at returning after such an absence, but also a feeling of loss.”

“We lost players… fans, administrators and referees,” Jadallah told AFP.

‘1,000 Martyrs Cup’

The football association named the comeback tournament — which includes over 200 teams from the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and refugee camps in Lebanon — the “1,000 Martyrs Cup”.

Throughout the war, Palestinian football authorities have accused Israel of killing football players and damaging Gaza’s sporting infrastructure.

Israel has claimed 12 Palestinian football figures that it killed in Gaza, including a FIFA-registered referee, were members of armed groups, an allegation the football association has rejected.

Large numbers of Palestinian security forces were deployed for the event, an unusual sight in the town more accustomed to Israeli military raids.

Before the game, pitting Jabal Al-Mukaber Club against Shabab Al-Khaleel SC, children carried a Palestinian flag wrapped to resemble a dead body, before unfurling it across the centre circle as a band played the Palestinian national anthem.

The sport authority also unveiled a memorial bearing the names of the killed Palestinian athletes outside the stadium, which stands in Al-Ram, not far from the West Bank separation barrier.

Samir Issa, a prominent former player and veteran manager who had coached both teams, watched from the stands as the game kicked off.

“Football has become more important than politics today,” he said. “The proof of that is the following the World Cup has had.”

“Sport in general is the culture of the people,” he added, saying that Palestinians had “the right to practice sport normally and in all its forms, not just football”.

At the 10-minute, 14-second mark, the referee ordered the game to stop for a minute of silence for the dead before the crowd grew loud again.

“Football returns to Palestine,” read electronic screens around the stadium.

Thousands of mainly young people attended the game, with families, women and children seated in a separate section.

Maysan Suleiman, a 35-year-old from Al-Ram, said she came to commemorate “the martyrs”.

‘Football returns to Palestine’

“I don’t support either team,” she said.

“I came to support the idea [of the tournamen] itself. After all, they’re all sons of Palestine.”

The tournament opened simultaneously in Gaza, where Israeli strikes have left much of the territory in ruins and some football fields have been turned into makeshift camps for those displaced by the war.

The opening match there was held in Deir al-Balah between Khadamat Rafah and Shabab Rafah as fans sat on plastic chairs around the small field lined with palm trees.

“Football represented life for us before the war, and after the war the lives of players stopped altogether,” said Khalil Matar, a Khadamat Rafah player.

Matar said holding the cup simultaneously in the West Bank, Gaza and refugee camps in Lebanon reflected “national unity” for Palestinians.

But the West Bank teams are set to face major logistical hurdles as they travel between cities and Israeli military checkpoints in the occupied territory.

“Still, we’re determined to continue sporting activities and developing our young people,” said Abdullah Abu Ghassan of the Shabab Jaba team competing in the tournament.