The Pakistan People’s Party is staging a rally in Karachi today to pay homage to the party’s activists and supporters killed in one of the worst bomb blasts in Pakistan’s chequered history, at Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming rally near Karsaz on 18 October, 2007.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is leading the rally atop a huge purpose-built truck stage that started its day-long journey from the Bilawal House. TV footage show Bilawal standing on the truck platform along with two ex-prime ministers of the PPP, Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
The “Salam Shuhuda Rally” originated from the Bilawal House and and will wind its way though Boat Basin, Mai Kolachi Road, Moulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road, Jinnah Bridge, ICI Bridge, Nawab Mahabat Khanji Road, Lea Market, Napier Road, MA Jinnah Road, Naumaish Chowrangi, Sharea Quaideen, and finally to Sharea Faisal from where it will reach the Karsaz intersection.
A large number of party workers and supporters have also gathered there. Charged PPP workers can be seen dancing to the tunes of party songs.
CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah and other senior leaders reached the Bilawal House earlier today. On the occasion, CM Sindh said the rally will strengthen democracy in the country.
While talking to newsmen, Speaker Sindh Assembly Aga Siraj Durrani said nearly 200 workers of PPP were killed in the blast. Today’s rally will be historic, he added.
The PPP leadership had directed the party’s leaders and activists belonging to the South and West districts to participate in the rally right from its commencement point of Bilawal House.
Activists and leaders belonging to other districts in the city have been told to join the rally at any point along its proposed route nearest to their respective residence after considering their own convenience.
Stringent security measures have been taken along the route of the rally while the party has established several reception camps as part of its preparations.
Banners have been set up on major roads of the city to spread public messages for the rally.
The PPP chairman will address participants of the rally from the truck. Besides his main address at Karsaz, Bilawal is likely to address the rally at four different intersections along route of the rally.
The PPP rally will commence from Bilawal House and pass through Boat Basin, Mai Kolachi, ICI Chowk, Kakri Ground, Lee Market, Napier road, Denso hall, MA Jinnah Road, Numaish Chowrangi, Shahrah-e-Quaideen and will arrive at Karsaz.
Those wishing to reach airport from Shahrah-e-Faisal road should take to Karangi via the FTC bridge. Citizens who want to come to Clifton from Gulshan-e-Iqbal should use the Shaheed-e-Millat road. Those wishing to arrive from the airport to Saddar should use the route from Drigh road, Rashid Minhas road, Stadium road and Peoples Chowrangi road.
Those who want to reach Clifton and Defence from airport should make use of the route from Shah Faisal Colony and Korangi Industrial area. Those who wish to reach the airport from Nazimabad should make use of the Nipa and Drigh road routes.
Those who want to reach Ziauddin Hospital should use sea view and China Chowrangi route. Citizens who wish to reach South City Hospital should make use of the Bahria underpass route.
Those who wish to reach Jinnah Hospital from Landhi Korangi should make use of the route from Korangi road and CSD.
The PPP said it had chosen Sunday to stage the rally so that it would cause less inconvenience to commuters and the public in general in comparison to a working day of the week.
