By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Defying roadblocks and police clashes that marred the day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, addressed a fervent crowd of hundreds near the mausoleum of Pakistan’s founder on Sunday night, praising the people of Sindh for their support while lambasting the provincial government for what he called disrespect and oppression.
The rally, held at one of the gates of Mazar-i-Quaid after delays in permissions pushed the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party to shift from its approved site at nearby Bagh-i-Jinnah, capped a tense day of mobilisation that showed the country’s fractious politics.
Afridi, leading his party’s street campaign during a four-day visit to Sindh, used the gathering to rally against the imprisonment of PTI founder Imran Khan and vow resistance to perceived injustices. “I am deeply grateful to all Pakistanis and the people of Sindh for honouring us with enormous respect and esteem,” Afridi told the crowd late Sunday. “We can never forget the respect we received from the people of Sindh. But you all must not forgive the Sindh government for the disrespect they have shown towards the Sindhi cap and Ajrak.”
He continued: “We will not allow anyone to steal our mandate, to snatch our rights, or to further keep our leader Imran Khan sahib in prison wrongfully. You must stand prepared against this oppression and fascism. Whenever my leader issues a call, then God-willing, we will do as per his wishes.” The chief minister raised slogans of “every chowk is D-Chowk,” invoking a symbolic call to action that resonated with supporters chanting in solidarity.
The event unfolded against a backdrop of earlier violence and accusations of interference. Dozens of party workers were detained, media vehicles were vandalized, and law enforcement resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse crowds, amid accusations from both sides of provocation and overreach. The disturbances occurred ahead of a planned public gathering at Bagh-i-Jinnah, a park near the mausoleum of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where thousands of PTI supporters had assembled despite what party leaders described as systematic obstructions by the Sindh provincial government.
Afridi, who is spearheading his party’s mobilisation efforts during a four-day visit to the province, accused authorities of endangering his life by forcing his convoy onto deserted roads during the return from a stop in Hyderabad earlier in the day. “This is the scene that serves as a clear message to those with fascist mindsets that public power cannot be stopped by walls and batons,” the PTI said in a statement on X, praising the turnout as a “historic display of public power and expression of love for Imran Khan,” the party’s imprisoned founder.
The rally, intended as a show of strength against what PTI calls an illegitimate coalition government in Islamabad, showed the fragile state of interprovincial relations in Pakistan. The Sindh government, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party, had issued a no-objection certificate for the event at Bagh-i-Jinnah, but only after delays that prompted the PTI to briefly shift plans to a gate outside Mazar-i-Quaid. Party officials alleged that police raids, roadblocks and arrests began in the early hours of Sunday, setting the stage for the afternoon’s confrontations. By midafternoon, tensions escalated at Bagh-i-Jinnah. Video footage showed police vans arriving as supporters gathered, with officers deploying shelling to scatter the crowd. Protesters responded by pelting stones, blocking Numaish Chowrangi and causing widespread traffic disruptions at key intersections like Gurumandir and Lasbela Chowk.
Police reported that more than 30 PTI workers were detained after clashes in which a policeman was beaten and two officers, including a woman, sustained minor injuries. “The Sindh police had attempted to prevent CM Afridi’s convoy from moving forward, but the party leaders had the path reopened with the help of party workers,” the PTI said in a post sharing video of the incident, which depicted leaders like Shafiullah Jan negotiating with officers before vehicles proceeded.
At the rally site, hundreds chanted slogans such as “Jiye Imran” and “Tera yaar, mera yaar, Qaidi No. 804,” a reference to Khan’s prisoner number. PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, updating supporters on X, said the convoy faced delays “due to obstructions at various places, and the public’s affection, welcomes and responses at numerous places.” Around 9 pm, he added that Afridi would arrive soon criticised the Sindh police and government for their actions.
The convoy’s route wound through neighborhoods like Baldia Town, Keamari, Banaras Chowk, Golimar and Gurumandir, allowing supporters to join. Visuals shared by the PTI captured enthusiastic welcomes at Khyber Chowk in Ittehad Town. Former lawmaker Faheem Khan reported that 10 of their vehicles were intercepted but said, “No worries; I am reaching the rally venue with another vehicle equipped with a sound system.”
Separately, violence targeted journalists covering the events. A vehicle belonging to Aaj News was attacked near Gurumandir Chowrangi, its windshield shattered in what Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar called an act by “miscreant elements.” He directed police to trace perpetrators using surveillance systems and said, “We will not let anyone sabotage law and order.” The Karachi Union of Journalists condemned the assaults on reporters, cameramen and staff, as well as damage to digital satellite news gathering vans. “How can this group declare themselves pro-democratic after attacking the media?” asked a joint statement from union leaders, including President Ejaz Ahmad. PTI spokesperson Mohammad Ali Bozdar denounced the attacks, insisting, “The PTI’s workers are peaceful. No one is allowed to take the law into their hands. The media is the public’s voice; attacks on media will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Sindh government officials rejected the PTI’s claims of repression, saying the party has disregarded agreed-upon protocols. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the administration had provided full security and welcomed Afridi warmly. But he accused the PTI of failing to honor assurances, leading to traffic snarls in a bustling metropolis where “even gatherings of a few hundred people can cause traffic problems.” “It was clearly said on the very first day that they are allowed to hold a rally,” Memon said. “It is inappropriate to make allegations against the Sindh government despite this.” He added that security alerts had prompted a specific plan, including designated routes, which he claimed the PTI ignored in Hyderabad and elsewhere.
Lanjar warned of “strict action” if gatherings spilled onto roads outside the approved venue. “No one is allowed to challenge the writ of the government,” he said. The provincial administration reserved the right to revoke permission over security concerns, and officials like Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah offered logistical aid, quipping, “If PTI is short of people, we can send them too.”
Afridi’s visit began smoothly on Jan. 9 with a reception at Karachi’s airport, including gifts of a Sindh cap and ajrak from Labor Minister Saeed Ghani. But frictions mounted overnight. PTI officials alleged a predawn raid at Bagh-i-Jinnah, where workers setting up for the rally were baton-charged and over a dozen arrested. Spokesperson Fauzia Siddiqui posted on X that containers blocked access and police confiscated belongings, calling it “fascism against peaceful workers.”
Police denied mass detentions, saying they merely dispersed crowds blocking a main road and that no restrictions applied to Afridi’s movements, though PTI workers would be barred from Mazar-i-Quaid.
Afridi himself detailed a harrowing return from Hyderabad, claiming routes were blocked for hours, forcing his team onto isolated paths. “The Sindh government is not only playing with my life but also with the lives of my team members,” he posted on X at 4:23 a.m. In a later video, he said the journey took seven and a half hours. “They had blocked the route at different places and we were compelled to travel on a deserted route. This was tantamount to putting my and my team’s lives at risk.” PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, who traveled with the convoy, described driving “through jungles” after the motorway closed, attributing it to the “fascist state” losing nerve over public support.
In a televised discussion on a private television channel, provincial minister Shah apologiz#sed for any “unpleasant incident,” saying, “I personally apologise if something happened somewhere, as this should not happen.” He defended the welcome as respect for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people and blamed delays on procedural hurdles, while noting Afridi’s criticisms of President Asif Ali Zardari had strained relations.
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