Summary:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is scheduled to visit Karachi on January 9 to deliver Imran Khan’s message and rally party supporters. This follows a challenging three-day visit to Lahore, where he faced significant police restrictions, including blocked access to public addresses and altercations at the Punjab Assembly, leading to a formal complaint to Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz. The upcoming visit marks a continuation of PTI’s street movement efforts amid ongoing political tensions.
KP CM Sohail Afridi’s Karachi visit is officially slated for January 9, as announced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister. Following a recent three-day engagement in Lahore aimed at launching the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s street movement, Afridi confirmed his next destination on social media platform X, asking, “Karachi, Sindh, are you ready?” He stated his intention to bring “Imran Khan’s message” and engage with “all friends of the party.”
The announcement comes on the heels of a demanding trip to Lahore, where Chief Minister Sohail Afridi encountered notable obstacles. Attempts to address supporters at Liberty Chowk were thwarted as heavy police contingents blocked all routes with pickets, making public gatherings impossible. This proactive measure by law enforcement significantly impacted his outreach efforts.
During his Lahore stay, CM Afridi addressed PTI lawmakers at the Punjab Assembly. However, this visit was reportedly marred by altercations involving members of his entourage and security officials. Media reports also highlighted heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists present at the venue, adding to the day’s tensions. SindhNews.com provided extensive coverage of the events.
Further restrictions were enforced, as Afridi was barred from visiting the cantonment area to meet party leaders. A local food street, a planned destination, was also closed ahead of his arrival. He visited Zaman Park amidst substantial police deployment, and several party supporters were reportedly detained during his tour, underlining the tight security environment.
In response to these events, CM Sohail Afridi formally penned a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He expressed strong disapproval of the “extraordinary and excessive security posture,” including widespread detentions and visible enforcement theatrics, which he described as “a message of intimidation rather than cooperation.” He argued that such measures were “neither proportionate nor warranted.”
The Chief Minister viewed the accumulated incidents – “protocol degradation, excessive policing optics, and synchronised digital vilification” – as a consistent pattern beyond mere coincidence, damaging the “collective credibility of federating units.” Separately, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan confirmed that the KP CM’s visit to the provincial assembly would be investigated by law enforcement agencies utilizing CCTV footage and initial inquiry reports. The upcoming KP CM Sohail Afridi’s Karachi visit is therefore keenly anticipated, set against a backdrop of these recent political dynamics and security concerns.