A day after both parties' workers clashed violently at the site, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told his party to "find another location" while inviting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to go ahead with his May 12 political gathering at Karachi's Hakeem Saeed Ground.
More than half a dozen PPP and PTI workers were injured Monday night after both parties set up camp at the same venue and bickered over who had the right to hold a political gathering there.
The PPP chairman, in a series of tweets today, held the PTI responsible for what had transpired the previous night but at the same time told his party to back off "in the interest of peace in Karachi".
"To attack us in such a way on this tragic day is a sad commentary on the fascist tendencies of PTI," Bilawal said. "However in the interest of peace in Karachi, which we have fought so hard for, I not only ask my party to find another location, but also invite Imran Khan to hold his jalsa at the Hakeem Saeed ground."
Despite his gesture, Bilawal, however, vehemently defended his party's right to hold their planned gathering on the contentious site, explaining how May 12 is a day of significance for his party and not the PTI, before supporting his case with a number of "facts".
Bilawal also accused the PTI of provoking PPP workers before launching an all-out attack.
Calling for an inquiry into Monday night's violent events, he added: "Karachi is our city - we can hold a jalsa anywhere."
PTI leader reminds Bilawal they were first to withdraw
PTI leader Ali Zaidi appreciated Bilawal's offer but refused to take it up, reminding the PPP chairman that his party had already withdrawn from the ground in the afternoon.
"Bilawal Bhutto's withdrawal from the location is a good measure but we had already done that in the afternoon"
FIR registered against 'unidentified miscreants'
Separately, the Aziz Bhatti Police Station's SHO, on behalf of the state, filed a first information report (FIR) gainst "unknown miscreants".
The FIR, which mentions clauses 147, 148, 149, 337-A, 337-H (ii), 435 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code, says that the workers of both parties had come face to face on the crime scene and were chanting their party slogans before matters escalated.
The report adds that the SHO had tried to reason with both the parties, but to no avail, which is when "unknown miscreants" pelted stones at each other and set vehicles on fire.
Siyal takes notice of alleged firing by police
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Tuesday also ordered an inquiry into media reports claiming that police had also fired their weapons during the PTI-PPP fracas.
The home minister directed the DIG East to immediately compile a report of his inquiry into the matter as well as all the necessary measures taken.
