CM KP Sohail Afridi heads to Karachi, urges mass mobilisation

WEB DESK: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi departed from Peshawar on Friday for a three-day visit to Karachi, during which he is scheduled to participate in several political activities in Sindh.

Ahead of his departure, Afridi released a video message addressed to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party workers in Karachi, urging them to begin preparations for a public gathering to be held on Sunday at Mazar-e-Quaid. He said he was travelling to Sindh carrying a message from his party leadership.

The chief minister called on workers to actively support the party’s street movement, saying their participation was crucial for its success. He expressed confidence that the planned rally in Karachi would be the largest in the city’s history.

Afridi said a range of activities had been planned during his stay in Sindh, adding that the visit aimed to mobilise workers and strengthen organisational efforts ahead of the public meeting.

Towards the end of December last year, Afridi led a high-profile rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, aiming to showcase the party’s continued influence in Punjab amid claims of waning support. His three-day Lahore visit faced heavy restrictions, with police blocking access and dispersing earlier gatherings, including a Friday night attempt at Liberty Roundabout.

Afridi’s rally, scheduled for 6 PM, was being framed as a direct challenge to rival parties, inviting them to organise comparable events in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. During his visit, he met families of jailed PTI leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Yasmin Rashid, criticising the Punjab government for ignoring court orders and restricting lawful political activity. He also highlighted concerns over judicial paralysis and constitutional violations.

While PTI supports dialogue via the opposition alliance TTAP, Afridi confirmed preparations for street mobilisation remain ongoing. Police have registered cases and made arrests against party workers for anti-government protests, as tensions escalate ahead of the Minar-e-Pakistan rally.