KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chair­­man Imran Khan said on Sunday that he came to Karachi to end the politics of hatred, as people of the metropolis would have an opportunity on Dec 5 to reject those who had deprived them of peace.

“I come here to bring an end to the politics of hatred, make a new Lyari and new Karachi because without building a new Karachi, a new Pakistan cannot be built,” said Mr Khan while speaking at a public meeting in Lyari.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who came here on Saturday, spent a busy day on Sunday. He took out a rally, visited several areas of the city — from Sultanabad to Gulshan-i-Iqbal near Sohrab Goth — and addressed a public meeting in the famous Kakri ground of Lyari.

The PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami had made an electoral alliance in Karachi for the Dec 5 local government election. However, the Sunday events were solely organised by the PTI and none of the JI leaders or workers participated in it.

In his usual accusatory style at the Kakri ground, Mr Khan criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement and said that the “criminals and corrupt elements had taken over the country and stood united whenever any ‘national institution’ tried to take action against them.

Referring to a consensus on the National Action Plan against terrorists and corruption, he said that both PPP and MQM became united and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also joined hands with them when Rangers picked up some persons of the two parties in Sindh.

As a result, he said, the action that was initiated under the NAP was stopped as the people in power instead of saving democracy were more keen to save corruption and thieves.

He asked the people to judge their leaders from the difference between their assets before and after coming into power.

Mr Khan said that he was advised against visiting Lyari because of security concerns. However, he said, the presence of a large number of people proved that they could not be deterred y attending the PTI meeting.

He said he had come to them to change their situation but it could not be changed until they themselves rise up to change their fate. They would have an opportunity after 10 years on Dec 5 to reject those who had deprived them from peace, tranquility, employment and given the culture of drugs and gunfire, he added.

“The people of Lyari have been left behind even from Karachiites,” he lamented.

He said that Karachi could regain its role to lead Pakistan on the road to progress and prosperity only through unity of its people and by rejecting the politics of hatred and those who divided them on ethnic lines.

He announced that he would come to Karachi again on Dec 6, a day after the polling, to celebrate the victory of his party in the LG election.

Other PTI leaders, including Dr Arif Alvi, Ali Zaidi, Imran Isamil, Faisal Vawda, Naz Baloch, also spoke.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015