Scuffle between PTI workers as Imran arrives in Hyderabad

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan arrived at Hyderabad Airport on Wednesday only to see a scuffle break out amongst PTI workers who had gathered around the airport to welcome him,

As the activists became rowdy, the PTI chairman was forced to depart from another exit of the airport.

PTI workers chanted "Go Nadir Leghari Go" slogans against the PTI's Sindh chapter president before Khan's arrival and planned to register their protest against the PTI provincial president.

The workers said that since Leghari took office, no work has been done and that he does not communicate with party workers.

The PTI workers were divided in two groups, one in favour of Leghari and one chanting slogans against him. As tempers on each side flared, a physical fight broke out with people pushing and punching each other.

The Khan promptly left for Bhitshah for a visit at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's shrine. Khan is also scheduled to be a part of Sindh Intellectuals' conference in Hyderabad, after which he will leave for Karachi to oversee preparations for the NA-246 elections and meet party workers.

Also read: MQM to welcome Imran in Karachi: Altaf

The PTI is campaigning in Karachi to gain support for its candidate Imran Ismail, the man who is set to contest elections on April 23 from MQM stronghold Azizabad.

In what appears to be an attempt to lower political temperature in the city, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain had said his party will welcome Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in Karachi after bitter exchanges between the two in recent weeks.

He also congratulated in advance the PTI chairman for his party’s public meeting to be held in Azizabad on April 19 in connection with the April 23 by-election on a National Assembly seat (NA-246).

Haider Rehman

Apr 08, 2015 03:21pm

Next Intra Party elections should solve the problem.

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Shamain 2015

Apr 08, 2015 03:21pm

But if leghari is so incompetent then workers are justified. Someday we will learn manners and grow out of physical scuffles.

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Ali Raza

Apr 08, 2015 03:34pm

I thought Hyderabad airport was not operational since long!

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Concerned Pakistani

Apr 08, 2015 03:49pm

No discipline in the party whatsoever. Poor show. Party workers should be given some forum to express themselves but every where there is dictatorship in political parties.

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Radiohead

Apr 08, 2015 05:06pm

Is this is the party suppose to be challenging the most organized party in Pakistan?

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Khan-Haqiqi

Apr 08, 2015 05:35pm

Irrespective of what you say about MQM but the fact is MqM is the most organized party of Pakistan where I never heard or see unpleasant scenes in their gathering and their representatives are commoners, approachable and live among people

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Naseer

Apr 08, 2015 05:52pm

PTI has not given their agenda for urban Sindh, an agenda that might appeal to the constituency in these areas. This will not help PTI, as majority of people who live in urban Sindh are educated people and make a decision based on who is sincere to Pakistan / their constituency. If PTI addresses grievances of urban Sindh, it is more likely to gain support among the local residents.

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Amir Khan

Apr 08, 2015 05:55pm

What that Orgnized party has done for Karachi

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Apr 08, 2015 05:56pm

IK cannot decipline his own party workers and PTI is dreaming of stealing mandate of Karachi. There are reasons why people are moving away from PTI

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Awais Ali

Apr 08, 2015 06:25pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Nobody is moving away from pti. Your party is losing credibility in Karachi by harboring all culprits in their office. These are normally happen in all parties at local level.

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Love Pakistan

Apr 08, 2015 07:02pm

Sings of IK's incompetencies are evident everywhere, its just an example here

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Maryam

Apr 08, 2015 07:13pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Is IK resposible for the culture in which and the education with which they were brought up? IK is not responsible for acts of individuals and the faults we have as a nation!

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Maryam

Apr 08, 2015 07:15pm

Btw Its good to note that PTI has quite a size able workers in Sindh !

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amin

Apr 08, 2015 07:16pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan We are a democratic party and these things happen. IK cant control each member of his party

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Mustafa

Apr 08, 2015 07:30pm

@Amir Khan; "What that Orgnized party has done for Karachi." We shall find out in another 14 days.

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Awais Ali

Apr 08, 2015 07:51pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan it normally happen in all parties. By the way your party is losing their credibility in Karachi where they are in power from decades and did nothing for karachi.

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Nina78

Apr 08, 2015 07:56pm

@Amir Khan At the least educated the populace of Karachi to recognise empty, substanceless and prejudiced politics and politicians. Something Punjab does not want to see, and I know this being a Punjabi from Hyderabad.

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Usher

Apr 08, 2015 07:57pm

@Maryam Yes in Picture we can see around 40 workers. Very large number.

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ordinary citizen

Apr 08, 2015 08:31pm

@amin apparently he can't control anything.

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FeudalKingdom

Apr 08, 2015 08:32pm

@Usher That is probably the number of people in Sindh willing to become supporters and workers of PTI.

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Saima

Apr 08, 2015 08:46pm

Pretty low turnout, I don't think PTI should be competing in Sindh, they should only focus in areas where they have a realistic chance of winning. From my understanding, MQM will rout the PTI in 246, which can prove to be demoralizing for PTI workers in Karachi.

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farhan

Apr 08, 2015 09:14pm

In yesterdays newspapers ! According to imran khan, if anything happens to any pti worker in NA-246 karachi, a case against altaf hussain and rabta committee will be filed in azizabad and in london uk ...Today my cousin who is a pti member from hyderabad, was punched by nadir laghari group at the hyderabad airport... so can i file a case against imran khan and tehreek e insaf? dawn please publish my comments.

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Dr Khwaja Ajmal Waheed

Apr 08, 2015 09:25pm

@Haider Rehman or aggravate them

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Junaid

Apr 08, 2015 09:29pm

realistically speaking MQM will win the Karachi election from Azizabad but it will not be a news. Yes if IK wins or even if IK gets 30-40% of the vote, that will be an huge news and victory. That is a sign that change is coming in the strong hold of MQM. MQM had this seat since God knows when but honestly speaking what did they ever do. The only golden time Karachi saw was when Mustafa Kamal was in charge. Yes he was from MQM but what did the party did with him. He fled and went to Dubai and now is working with Behria team. MQM has done nothing in Karachi over all. I dont ask Karachi people to vote IK but do not vote for MQM either. Bring a change.

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