KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan said on Wednesday that the purpose of his visit to Karachi was to end the ‘atmosphere of fear’ so that people could freely exercise their right to vote.

“We want to give an alternative leadership to the people of Karachi where the situation has deteriorated because there was no-one to raise voice against terrorism,” said Mr Khan who arrived in the city in the evening for the election campaign of his party’s candidate Imran Ismail in the by-election on NA-246 constituency.

Addressing a press conference at the DHA residence of Imran Ismail, the PTI chief said he would visit all ‘no-go’ areas in the city.

“If we lose the election in a free and fair polling, we will concede defeat and review our shortcomings.”

He said his party had asked the Election Commission to deploy the army or Rangers in and around the polling stations for security of voters and for ensuring fair election.

In reply to a question, Mr Khan said his party was in touch with Jamaat-i-Islami and “I would ask their leadership to support our candidate Imran Ismail”.

He said Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif were not going to make a ‘new Pakistan’ which would be possible only if hereditary politics was brought to an end. He said that politically the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and PTI were on the same page because both were against hereditary politics, but “we differ with the MQM because of its indulgence in gun politics to create fear among people”.

“We were also asked by people to form a militant wing in PTI, but we are opposed to the politics of handing over guns to workers for their defence because they would start using these for their own objectives,” he said.

Mr Khan said there was a time when people used to come to Karachi from other parts of the country to seek jobs because there were industries and people used to make investment.

But now there is energy crisis and the law and order situation in the city was bad.

The PTI chief said he would visit Jinnah Ground in Azizabad on Thursday and “I have been informed that people have stored tomatoes and eggs for my reception. I am prepared for it”.

He said he had asked Imran Ismail to take him to all the places which were considered ‘no-go’ areas.

Earlier in Hyderabad, Imran Khan said the Sindh government got Rs180 billion under the National Finance Commission award, but there was no development or infrastructural change in province.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2015

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