UMERKOT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan pledged on Thursday to protect Hindu citizens and said they would not be left alone like Muslims marginalised by Shiv Sena in India.

He was speaking at a public gathering organised by the PTI here to celebrate Diwali.

He said his party wanted to eradicate poverty. “For us Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a test case, where we will prove that we can provide basic amenities to people and improve their living standards.

Also read :PM vows to protect rights of all religious communities

“Under a PTI government, a new Pakistan will emerge where police will not be used to harass anyone, justice will prevail and equal rights of provinces will be ensured,” Mr Khan said.

He said that free and fair election was the only solution to corruption and other maladies afflicting Pakistan.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that last year also he had celebrated Diwali in Umerkot and introduced a new trend which was now being followed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Arif Alvi, a member of the National Assembly, said Sindh was rich in resources but its people were living in extreme poverty. “We all are responsible for this because we elect leaders who plunder public funds and have no interest in improving the lot of people,” he added.

Our correspondent in Hyderabad adds: Speaking at a public meeting at the farmhouse of a local PTI leader in Karimabad near Detha, Imran Khan urged Sindhi people to vow to change their fate and warned that otherwise the future of their children would remain bleak.

The convoy of Mr Khan toured different areas of Hyderabad before reaching Karimabad. Welcome camps were set up in various localities of Hyderabad and near the Jamshoro toll plaza, where enthusiastic activists gathered and danced while shouting slogans.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2015