Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday reaffirmed his determination to hold a public rally at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, despite what he described as deliberate hurdles during his journey to the city.
In a video message, Afridi alleged that authorities blocked roads and diverted his convoy while he was travelling from Hyderabad to Karachi. “We were deliberately pushed onto deserted roads on our way back from Hyderabad,” he said, adding that he had safely reached Karachi and that the rally would take place as planned.
حیدرآباد سے واپسی پر میرے اور میری ٹیم کے تمام راستے بند کردیے گئے ہیں۔ پچھلے ۴ گھنٹوں سے مختلف راستے تبدیل کر چکا ہوں۔ ابھی 4:23 پر سُنسان سڑک پر آکر کراچی کی طرف روانہ ہو چکے ہیں۔ سندھ حکومت میرے ساتھ ساتھ میری ٹیم کی زندگی کے ساتھ بھی کھیل رہی ہے۔
جو روایات ایک صوبے کے…
— Sohail Afridi (@SohailAfridiISF) January 10, 2026The chief minister’s statement came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf secured official permission from the Sindh government to hold the gathering, following brief tensions over the venue and timing of the event.
وزیر اعلی اور ان کے ساتھیوں کی زندگیوں کو خطرے میں ڈالا گیا اور ہزاروں افراد کے سفر میں خلل پیدا کیا گیا۔
بیرسٹر سلمان اکرم راجہ کا کہنا تھا کہ اس طرح موٹر وے بند کرنا ایک جرم ہے۔ یہ پاکستان کی عوام پر ایک حملہ ہے۔ اب عوام کو فیصلہ کرنا ہے کہ وہ کب تک محکومیت کو سہیں گے۔… pic.twitter.com/dbtvrlZLYp
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 11, 2026Afridi arrived in Sindh on Friday for a three-day visit as part of PTI’s street mobilisation campaign. The party says the movement marks the first anniversary of what it calls the “fraud” of the February 8, 2024, general elections.
Read: PTI Rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah Gets Conditional Approval in Karachi
According to a post shared on PTI’s official X account, the rally is scheduled to take place at Jinnah Garden, commonly known as Bagh-e-Jinnah, at 2pm. The announcement followed the issuance of a no-objection certificate by the Sindh administration.
Despite the challenges he claims to have faced, Afridi maintained that the party would proceed with the power show, signalling PTI’s intent to mobilise supporters in Karachi.
