PTI sets September 27 for Islamabad march, announces Karachi rally
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a public rally in Karachi on September 6, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has confirmed that the party's long march to Islamabad will take place on September 27. The announcements came as the party steps up its political campaign, with Afridi set to lead a four-day visit to Sindh starting September 3.
Speaking in Buner, Afridi said he would personally lead the march and take millions of people to Islamabad, directing party workers to begin preparations and expressing confidence that they would "return successful" on September 27. He insisted there would be no change in the date.
Afridi criticises government over Imran Khan's treatment
At an earlier address to participants of the Street Movement at Abu Bakr Siddiq Chowk in Hangu, Afridi criticised the government over the treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan, saying that despite a Supreme Court decision, Khan was not treated at Shifa International Hospital. He alleged that the government had ignored the court's decision and that court orders concerning Khan were not being implemented, claiming some people considered themselves above the Constitution and law.
Afridi argued that the same law should apply to both powerful and weaker sections of society, stating that if influential people could not be held accountable, weaker prisoners should also be released. He said Khan's struggle was aimed at ensuring equality before the law and urged people to consider the direction in which the country was heading. The chief minister also highlighted economic challenges, saying farmers and industrialists were facing difficulties.
Karachi rally and Sindh tour announced
In Karachi, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh told a press conference that Afridi and the party's central leadership would enter Sindh on September 3, receiving a major welcome at Kamoon Shaheed at 11am before travelling across the province. The delegation, led by Afridi, will travel from Jacobabad to Naushehro Feroze on September 4, proceed to Hyderabad on September 5, and reach Karachi on September 6.
Sheikh said a major rally would be held on Shahrah-i-Quaideen in Karachi on September 6, expressing hope that the authorities would grant permission for the event. "Even if permission is not granted, there will be a rally in Karachi," he asserted. He said September 6 was Defence Day and that the PTI would speak about the defence of Pakistan and the rights of its people.
Party secretary general calls for protest on Democracy Day
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, speaking at the same press conference, said the party would observe September 27 as Democracy Day and protest for the release of Imran Khan, calling on people to continue raising their voices for their rights. "This is not a battle for one day; it is a question of the future of the entire nation," he said.
Raja said the country's poor had expressed themselves through their votes, but their mandate had been "stolen". He claimed millions of Pakistanis had voted for Imran on February 8, 2024, in the hope of determining their future, but their mandate was subsequently denied. He also claimed that PTI candidates had won 21 of the 22 National Assembly seats in Karachi.
Raja further alleged that the February 2024 elections were marred by "worst rigging" and that rejected candidates were imposed. He cited the deaths of 14 newborn babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) as exposing the failure of the system, and said around 25 million children in Pakistan were out of school, with about 40 per cent of children behind in mental development.
He also claimed that journalists who spoke the truth were being removed from their organisations, and said democracy had never been allowed to fully flourish in Pakistan. Questioning whether creating new provinces would resolve political problems, he urged people to come out, saying: "If 250 million people come out of their homes and onto the streets, this system will collapse."