Sohail Afridi begins Sindh tour as PTI mobilises supporters:
Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The arrival of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in Karachi on Friday was marred by a scuffle among Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers at the airport, moments before he landed after a delayed flight from Islamabad.
The KP chief minister, who had been scheduled to depart at 9:00 am from Islamabad, reached Karachi shortly after 2:00 pm.
Witnesses said two PTI workers who had gathered to welcome Afridi exchanged a flurry of slaps outside the arrival lounge, prompting other party members to intervene and end the clash.
The confrontation occurred just minutes before Afridi’s reception, which was led by Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani, who met the visiting chief minister upon his arrival.
Afridi was later escorted to the party’s Insaf House in the form of a rally. According to his schedule, he is expected to address a “Meet the Press” session at the Karachi Press Club and visit Bagh-e-Jinnah, where he will speak at a major public gathering on Sunday, January 11.
The KP chief minister has already announced that the rally planned near Mazar-e-Quaid is part of PTI’s broader street movement ahead of the party’s February 8 protest call.
Meanwhile, PTI claimed that the Sindh police have sealed Insaf Secretariat in Karachi and also uprooted a reception camp set up to welcome KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
In a statement issued earlier in the day, Afridi said the rally would begin at 4:30 pm and reiterated his commitment to conveying the message of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to “every corner of Sindh.”
He urged the people of the province to fully support the movement, asserting that Sunday’s gathering would be “the biggest rally Karachi has ever seen.”
Shafi Jan, Afridi’s aide on information, said the chief minister will meet Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday, January 12.
During his stay, Afridi plans to hold meetings with PTI leaders at Insaf House, visit the Karachi Press Club, and travel to Hyderabad, where he will address the bar association, visit the press club, attend an Insaf Students Federation convention, and meet the party’s local leadership.
He is also expected to visit prison facilities in Karachi’s South, Korangi and Malir districts to meet inmates.
PTI’s Karachi chapter has formally requested the district administration to grant permission for the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah, assuring that all rules and codes of conduct will be followed.
The Sindh government, meanwhile, has pledged full cooperation. Senior provincial minister Sharjeel Memon said on a private TV channel that the administration would ensure free movement, security and protocol for the KP chief minister.
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