KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday praised the people of Sindh for their support as he addressed a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally near Mazar-i-Quaid, with hundreds of supporters in attendance.
Read also:KP CM Sohail Afridi arrives in Karachi to kick off street rallies, meet Sindh leadership
The Sindh government had granted permission for the PTI to hold the rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah. However, citing delays in receiving the permit, the party earlier announced it would organise the gathering at one of the gates of Mazar-i-Quaid.
The rally was part of the KP chief minister’s four-day visit to Sindh, during which he is leading the party’s street mobilisation campaign.
“I am deeply grateful to all Pakistanis, especially the people of Sindh, for honouring us with such respect,” Afridi said while addressing the crowd late on Sunday night. “We will never forget the respect shown by the people of Sindh. However, you must not forgive the Sindh government for the disrespect it has shown towards the Sindhi cap and Ajrak,” he added.
“We will not allow anyone to steal our mandate, snatch our rights, or keep our leader Imran Khan sahib in prison unjustly,” the KP CM said.
Referring to critics of PTI, Afridi said those who once claimed they would end the party should look at the large number of young people present at the rally. “If this is the response to a single jalsa, imagine what will happen when my leader gives a formal call for a nationwide movement,” he said.
He urged supporters to remain prepared against what he described as oppression and fascism. “Whenever my leader issues a call, we will act according to his wishes,” Afridi added.
The chief minister reiterated allegations that the Sindh government had left his convoy stranded on deserted roads late at night while travelling from Hyderabad to Karachi. A provincial minister, however, rejected the claim, stating that police had accompanied the convoy via the safest routes.
Afridi also alleged that police carried out shelling and baton charges against PTI supporters, including women and children, blocked routes, and damaged media vehicles.
He further said the Sindh government had repeated the actions of the Punjab government during his visit to Lahore last month, calling both administrations “fake”.
Announcing future plans, Afridi said the next phase of the movement would continue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our next stop will be Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where we will maintain the same momentum across various districts,” he said, while raising slogans of “every chowk is D-Chowk”.
Earlier, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said the chief minister’s convoy faced delays due to obstructions and large public gatherings welcoming him at multiple locations. PTI leaders and supporters later shared videos showing the convoy’s movement through different areas of Karachi and crowds chanting pro-PTI slogans at Bagh-i-Jinnah and along the route.
