Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has vowed to remain in Sindh until the PTI holds a rally in Karachi, as the party continues its campaign ahead of a planned nationwide protest on September 27.
Afridi, accompanied by PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar, is on a five-day mobilisation drive in Sindh to rally support for the September 27 protest, which the party says is aimed at securing the release of its founder Imran Khan and seeking immediate medical treatment for him at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital.
Earlier, Afridi addressed party supporters in Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad, alleging that authorities were creating obstacles for his convoy.
Speaking to reporters while travelling towards Karachi, the KP chief minister said he would stay in Sindh until a rally was held in the provincial capital.
“If we cannot reach Karachi today, God willing, we will hold the rally tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then the day after,” he said.
“I will not take a single step out of Sindh without launching a street movement in Karachi. I will stay here until the objective is achieved.”
Responding to recent remarks by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Afridi said the PTI delegation was being welcomed on social media while roadblocks were allegedly being placed along its route.
He called on Bilawal to identify those responsible for the alleged obstructions if they were not being carried out by the Sindh government or police.
Afridi also said the people of Sindh would question the provincial government over the alleged restrictions, arguing that the police and administration were under its authority.
In a post on X around 11:15pm, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh said the party’s caravan would reach Karachi “in any way” despite the alleged hurdles.
Earlier, Sheikh had posted that the convoy was travelling through remote areas of interior Sindh and would reach Karachi. He also claimed to have removed obstacles placed along the route near Kotri Bridge while leaving Hyderabad.
Karachi’s District East police said no public gatherings, rallies or processions would be permitted around Mazar-i-Quaid, where the PTI had planned to hold its rally on Shahrah-i-Quaideen.
The police warned that legal action would be taken if a gathering was held without permission, adding that security arrangements around the mausoleum had been strengthened due to the prevailing threat situation.
Additional police personnel were deployed, while surveillance at entry and exit points was also increased.
Karachi Traffic Police attributed the closure of several roads around Mazar-i-Quaid to security concerns. A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the roads had been blocked with containers following a security threat issued by law enforcement agencies.
The officer said the district administration had not granted permission for the PTI rally at Mazar-i-Quaid because of the security threat. However, he said the party could organise a gathering at other locations, including the Super Highway near the Toll Plaza or around Jail Chowrangi, where there were no such restrictions.
The officer also said several PTI supporters were detained on Sunday evening after attempting to reach Mazar-i-Quaid.
According to the officer, around 150 to 200 PTI workers gathered in the area. Police attempted to disperse them, but the protesters allegedly threw stones at officers, injuring one policeman. Law enforcement subsequently used shelling to disperse the crowd, with several PTI workers detained.
A traffic police official separately said some roads across Karachi had been closed following a “red alert” issued by law enforcement authorities.
By 6pm, both sides of Shahrah-i-Quaideen had been closed to traffic for security reasons, with traffic diverted towards Khalid Bin Waleed Road and Tariq Road.
New MA Jinnah Road and roads near Corridor-III parking plaza towards PP Chowrangi and Jail Chowrangi were also closed from both sides later in the afternoon. Traffic was diverted through alternative routes.
Earlier, Afridi addressed a large gathering at Hyder Chowk in Hyderabad, where he thanked supporters for welcoming him.
He criticised what he described as the dominance of two political families in Pakistan, referring to the PPP and PML-N, and said PTI founder Imran Khan had selected him, an ordinary party worker, as KP chief minister.
Afridi urged young people to take an active role in the country’s affairs and described September 27 as a potentially historic day for Pakistan.
He also criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over her recent remarks about security threats from neighbouring provinces and demanded an apology.
Afridi questioned the remarks in light of the military’s position that India supports terrorist activities in Pakistan.
He also accused the Sharif family of tax evasion and owning properties abroad, alleging that they had never been sincere with the country.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, addressing the gathering, said the party had faced numerous cases and alleged that its access to the courts had been restricted. He described September 27 as a day of “true freedom” for the people.
The PTI later confirmed that Afridi’s convoy had entered Hyderabad district.
Before reaching Hyderabad, Afridi addressed PTI workers in Tando Allahyar and thanked Bilawal for welcoming him to Sindh on social media.
However, he alleged that barriers were being placed in the convoy’s path, including containers and excavated sections of roads.
Afridi questioned whether the obstructions were being created by the PPP-led Sindh government or by other authorities and asked why political guests were being treated in such a manner.
He urged PTI supporters to participate in rallies planned across the country on September 27.
In a video posted on X, Afridi acknowledged that hurdles may have been created along the route but said the convoy would overcome them and proceed towards Hyderabad and Karachi.
The PTI subsequently accused the Sindh government of obstructing its convoy and claimed that party workers in several cities had been detained.
The party described the alleged actions as political hypocrisy and accused the PPP of restricting political activity despite Bilawal’s public welcome for Afridi.
PTI said barriers, police deployments and arrests would not prevent its supporters from exercising their political rights. It called on Bilawal to direct the Sindh government to ensure political freedom and demanded the immediate release of workers allegedly detained in Hyderabad, Karachi and other parts of the province.
Haleem Adil Sheikh also shared a video of himself driving a truck, claiming it had been placed to block the PTI convoy in Tando Allahyar. He later posted videos showing what he described as a public welcome for the convoy in Hyderabad.
The latest dispute followed a cordial exchange between Bilawal and Afridi on social media on Saturday.
After Afridi reached Larkana, Bilawal welcomed him to Sindh and wished him well for the remainder of his tour, calling for a return to politics based on tolerance, respect and coexistence.
Afridi thanked the PPP chairman and said democracy required political and freedom of expression, an independent judiciary, respect for the public mandate, an independent parliament and a free press.
He also expressed hope that large crowds would attend PTI rallies in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Afridi had made a similar visit to Sindh previously as part of a PTI mobilisation campaign. On that occasion, he initially praised the PPP-led provincial government for its reception before later criticising the administration over its treatment of the party’s delegation.
Ahead of a PTI rally in Karachi in January, the party had also alleged that Afridi faced obstacles while travelling to the city and accused authorities of using force against its workers and supporters.
