HYDERABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Sindh caravan reached Sakrand in Shaheed Benazirabad district after sunset on Monday and continued its journey to Sukkur, where the participants would have an overnight stay. PTI Sindh president Ali Zaidi along with former governor Imran Ismail is leading the caravan.

The marchers had briefly stayed in Naushahro Feroze for dinner a little before midnight and were to resume their journey to reach Sukkur at about 2:30am Tuesday, party sources said, adding that participants from all parts of Sindh would assemble at Insaf House, Military Road, in Sukkur from where they would start their onward journey at 2pm on Tuesday. Another stopover in Sindh territory might be in Khairpur, they said.

Groups of PTI workers coming from different areas of Karachi earlier travelled to the Toll Plaza on Superhighway to join the caravan, which later set off to Hyderabad. They were carrying Pakistani and party flags and raising slogans against ‘imported’ government.

Upon reaching Hyderabad’s bypass, Ali Zaidi and Imran Ismail spoke to the media.

Mr Zaidi said the long march was not aimed at achieving powers, but immediate free, fair and transparent general elections. He said PTI wanted announcement of the election schedule, and regretted that the demand had not been heeded for six months. “The present government doesn’t want to even talk on it,” he added.

Alluding to the coalition government at the Centre, he said those who had reached the power corridors through backdoor were not acceptable to the masses.

“The entire world is watching that masses are with PTI chief Imran Khan, who has recently won another seat from Kurram in a by-poll, after winning the Korangi, Karachi, seat of the National Assembly.

He said the caravan would leave for Punjab from Sukkur on Tuesday to join the Imran Khan-led ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ towards Islamabad. He said that those PTI workers and supporters who could not join this caravan in Sindh should join marchers in Khanewal.

He thanked PTI Hyderabad division office-bearers for their hard work, and said PTI had more candidates than available electoral seats in Hyderabad.

The caravan later reached Sakrand in Shaheed Benazirabad district where it was welcomed by local PTI leaders and workers who were raising slogans against ‘imported’ government.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022