KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has changed the venue of its Karachi public gathering, deciding not to proceed with its planned rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah despite receiving official approval late Saturday evening. The party will now hold the event at the public entrance of Mazar-e-Quaid on Sunday at 2pm.
PTI leaders said the decision was taken after the Sindh administration issued the no-objection certificate (NOC) too late for effective preparations at the original location. The party accused the authorities of deliberately delaying the approval, leaving organisers with insufficient time to arrange logistics.
The rally coincides with a three-day visit to Sindh by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and is part of PTI’s nationwide street movement marking one year since the February 8, 2024 general elections, which the party continues to describe as rigged.
PTI Karachi spokesperson Fauzia Siddiqui said permission for Bagh-e-Jinnah was granted at around 6:30pm on Saturday, even though preparations had been ongoing throughout the day. She said a press conference had already been held at the venue by Sindh PTI president Haleem Adil Sheikh, but the NOC was withheld until late evening.
“The permit was issued suddenly by the Deputy Commissioner East after hours of delay. We believe this was done intentionally,” Siddiqui said, adding that it was no longer feasible to organise the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah at such short notice.
As a result, PTI leadership decided to shift the gathering to the Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum public gate, where Afridi will address supporters arriving from across Karachi.
Earlier, the district administration had formally allowed PTI to hold the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah under strict conditions. The NOC placed responsibility for security, crowd control and traffic management on the organisers, while banning hate speech, provocative content, sectarian remarks and any statements against state institutions, including the armed forces.
The permit also required compliance with the Loudspeaker Act, installation of metal detectors and walk-through gates, deployment of volunteers for security, and full video recording of the event, with footage to be submitted to authorities the following day. Parking restrictions and limited entry and exit points were also outlined, and officials retained the right to revoke permission if conditions were violated.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon confirmed the issuance of the NOC, warning that any breach of the terms could lead to cancellation of the event or legal action.
Despite this, PTI Sindh leader Raja Azhar said the party did not receive the permission in time to proceed. “Even if approval is granted, arrangements cannot be completed now,” he said, confirming the venue change.
Afridi arrived in Karachi on Friday and was received at the airport by PPP leader Saeed Ghani, who presented him with a traditional Sindhi ajrak and cap. During his visit, Afridi addressed party workers and journalists at the Karachi Press Club and later travelled to Jamshoro, where he criticised the PPP leadership, accused it of amending the Constitution through the 26th and 27th amendments, and claimed the federal government was operating on a “fake mandate.”
PTI leaders have reiterated that Sunday’s public meeting will proceed as scheduled at Mazar-e-Quaid, urging supporters to gather at the public gate at 2pm to hear the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s address.
