KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi greets supporters during a rally in Hyderabad. Photo: INP
KARACHI/HYDERABAD:
The Sindh government on Saturday allowed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a public rally in Bagh-e-Jinnah, issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) with conditions, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi vowed to continue a nationwide street movement under the leadership of jailed party chief Imran Khan, undeterred by resistance encountered elsewhere.
According to officials, the NOC was issued by the Eastern Deputy Commissioner. Sindh Chief Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a statement that the PTI rally would be held on Sunday (today) at Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground.
He said the NOC was issued under certain conditions, in which the organizers would take full responsibility for maintaining law and order.
He said no provocative speeches, materials or speeches would be allowed, nor any speeches against Pakistan or state institutions.
Maintaining smooth traffic flow during the rally would be the responsibility of the organizers. The program is expected to end before the deadline and the district administration would retain the authority to cancel permission due to security concerns.
The endorsement comes weeks after Afridi drove to Lahore, where PTI leaders complained about obstacles, restrictions and denial of permission to hold a public rally, an experience the chief minister later cited as emblematic of shrinking political space.
Meanwhile, addressing political rallies in Sindh, CM Afridi said the national struggle for “real freedom” under the leadership of Imran Khan continues with full momentum, aimed at safeguarding free media, independent judiciary and supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.
He said the movement would continue until Imran Khan’s vision of national sovereignty, public welfare and constitutional supremacy was realized, adding that preparations for a street movement were underway and every conscious and patriotic citizen would be invited to join the struggle.
He said that whenever Imran Khan calls, the public will respond in force.
The Chief Minister was speaking at a reception hosted by Sindh United Party President Syed Zain Shah during his visit to Jamshoro, where he thanked the party members and supporters for their warm welcome.
He said it was encouraging that the Sindh United Party was actively engaged in the fight for the fundamental rights of the people of Sindh, which he described as essential for strengthening democratic values.
‘Zardari ended Bhutto’s legacy’
Commenting on the political situation in Sindh, Afridi said that Asif Ali Zardari had effectively ended the political legacy of Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Sindh was now under Zardari’s control.
He regretted that a party claiming to defend the Constitution and the 18th Amendment had changed the constitutional structure through the 26th and 27th Amendments, which he said undermined democratic principles.
He said despite the Jinnah Garden gates being locked, a public rally would be held and a clear message would be sent that Sindh belonged to Imran Khan and would continue to do so.
Earlier in Karachi, Afridi addressed PTI workers in Qayyumabad and Korangi and then addressed the media before leaving for Hyderabad. He said the high turnout and enthusiastic response in Karachi showed that Imran Khan remained the country’s most popular political leader, adding that claims about the end of Imran’s political role were being refuted by the city’s streets, markets and public rallies.
He announced that a large rally would be held at Jinnah Ground on Sunday, convening one of the largest public gatherings in Karachi’s history.
He said that following a single call from the unjustly imprisoned Imran Khan, people were ready to take to the streets and the response showed that Karachi was fully prepared for the movement.
Drawing historical parallels, Afridi said transformation would not come through the return of figures such as Muhammad bin Qasim or Tariq bin Ziyad, but through the development of courage, determination and resolve among the people themselves.
He said the concept of “burning the boats” symbolized the elimination of all retirement options and moving forward with full commitment to the fight for constitutional supremacy. He added that the street movement would not remain confined to a single city, but would spread across Pakistan with each city becoming a D-Chowk.
Earlier speaking to the media while leaving for Hyderabad, the chief minister said that no NOC for holding a rally near Mazar-e-Quaid was yet to be issued, though he said the Sindh government had shown a positive attitude.
He compared this to the previous conduct of the Punjab government, which he said is still clearly remembered.
He said Imran Khan had entrusted him with organizing preparations for the street movement, which is expected to intensify in the coming days. He added that the decision whether to continue protests or negotiations would be taken by Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) and would be fully endorsed.
He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had expressed their confidence in the PTI for the third time and in response, social initiatives such as free health cover had been extended to the entire province.
He also said that engagements would be held with KP residents living in Sindh to listen to their concerns, which would be taken up directly with the Sindh Chief Minister to ensure that their legitimate issues were addressed.
Sindh is treated like a stepchild
Reminding Sindh of the KP’s repeated support for the former’s rights over the Indus River, Afridi also urged the people of Sindh to take up the cause of their province, which he said is undergoing “stepmotherly treatment” at the hands of the Centre.
Addressing party workers, lawyers and press in Hyderabad and Jamshoro, Afridi also asked supporters to prepare for the street movement of PTI, which will soon be called upon to oppose the ruling government.
“Even institutions that have a role to play in strengthening democracy treat the KP like a stepmother.”
Discussions on the rights of KP and tribal areas dominated the speeches as well as Afridi’s questions and answers with the press, compared to the mention of PTI leader and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan.
However, he continued to regret that the country’s justice system had denied its leader the freedom to be incarcerated. “Imran Khan can be released in 30 minutes if the judiciary issues its orders independently.” The CM reiterated his party and provincial government’s rejection of the military operation in KP and tribal areas.
He argued that Khan’s firm stance in his quest for true democracy, supremacy of law and constitution, restoration of a free judiciary and free media should not be seen as his stubbornness. He believes that the country’s citizens should instead strive to achieve the same goals.
Afridi told the lawyers that his party felt distressed when they saw that neither lawyers nor judges reacted strongly against the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, which he said had stripped the judiciary of its authority. “But time is not wasted since other amendments are underway to weaken the law and the constitution.”
He urged lawyers to lead a movement for the supremacy of law and the constitution.
“The PPP has distorted the fundamental structure of the Constitution”
He blamed the PPP for distorting the very basic structure of the constitution by lending its support to the 26th constitutional amendment. He lamented that the armed forces treat him like a pariah, pointing out that chief ministers of other provinces are offered air force planes for their trips and even “to bring their breakfasts”, but he is denied the same treatment.
Afridi reminded the center that he represented 45 million people in his province and that his person should not be a subject of controversy. The CM reiterated the government’s stand that it is being denied a fair share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) allocation as additional allocation for the erstwhile tribal areas which are now part of KP is still not allocated.
He also lamented the federal government’s lack of interest in infrastructure development in KP, pointing out that the Peshawar Northern Bypass Road, the construction of which began in 2010 at a cost of Rs 3 billion, is still not completed.
The CM maintained that due to the Centre’s inability to contribute to the project, its cost increased tenfold to Rs 31 billion.
Responding to a question on DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement regarding a link between KP and terrorists, the CM said he strongly rejected this stance with condemnation. He recalled that a 15-point program for the center prepared by a conglomerate of political and religious parties in KP had also highlighted that the military operation did not provide a solution to the problem.
He then accused the center of reneging on its commitments to compensate displaced people from tribal areas subject to the military operation. Afridi said people were evicted from Baka Khel in Bannu district with the promise of compensation from the centre.
However, he claimed, his provincial government ended up paying 7.5 billion rupees to the displaced people because the federal government failed to honor its commitment.
He said people have been deprived of their rights to their natural resources.
Shah, meanwhile, said he rejects all constitutional amendments passed since 2022. He asserted that TTAP wants to protect the country’s constitution. He claimed that thousands of lives had been lost to see Sindh exist as an autonomous province in the country, but the struggle continued.
With contributions from the Karachi correspondent
