KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate for the by-election on NA-246, Imran Ismail, said on Friday their rally on April 19 would most probably be held in the Jinnah ground if they could not manage to hold the rally at any other bigger and more spacious venue.

Speaking to the media while visiting Sharifabad during electioneering, Mr Ismail said there were “90 per cent chances” that he would hold his election rally in the Jinnah ground, but a final decision would be taken by the party leadership depending upon the availability of a place bigger than the Jinnah ground.

Also read: PTI, MQM workers clash again

PTI chief Imran Khan, who visited Karachi a day earlier, had hinted that their public meeting could not be held in the Jinnah ground as it was not large enough to accommodate “hundreds of thousands of PTI supporters”.

Mr Ismail, however, said Mr Khan only asked him to find a better venue or hold the rally wherever he decided.

“I have not been able to find a better venue as yet.

There is a 90pc chance we will hold the rally in the Jinnah ground,” he said.

During his visit to the neighbourhood, a sizeable number of Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers gathered and chanted “go Imran go” slogans prompting PTI workers to chant pro-Imran slogans.

However, the area police and witnesses said, the situation was soon defused.

Mr Ismail appreciated the MQM leadership for maintaining peace during election campaigns.

He said there was some “mismanagement” on the part of the MQM during Imran Khan’s visit to his constituency, but it was not something worth “staging a sit-in over”.

He said Mr Khan’s visit had ended fear in the minds of the people of Karachi.

He said Mr Khan would address the April 19 rally and expressed the hope the people would have a “better alternative” now to vote for in the by-elections. He said contesting elections was the right of every citizen, “no matter who controls what”.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

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