KARACHI: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf organised a rally to mark Pakistan Day and demand release of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan on Sunday.

PTI workers, including women, took out small rallies from different parts of the city and reached the Empress Market to join the main rally, led by Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh and others.

Carrying the national and PTI flags, the participants of the rally chanted slogans, demanding the release of Imran Khan and criticising the government’s policies.

The PTI said that the rally was scheduled to reach the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Moha­mmad Ali Jinnah, but law enforcement agencies placed barricades at multiple locations “in an attempt to obstruct their march”.

Roads leading to KPC also cordoned off by law enforcers

A heavy contingent of police was deployed around roads near the Karachi Press Club to stop the PTI rally.

The rally participants reached Peoples Chowrangi from the Empress Market, where the police erected barriers to prevent them from reaching the VIP gate of the Quaid’s mazar.

The party said that the law enforcement agencies manhandled several workers at Mazar-i-Quaid to disperse rally participants.

In view of the police action, the party leaders ended the rally and the participants dispersed peacefully.

‘Police action condemned’

Condemning the police action, Mr Sheikh remarked, “We are patriotic Pakistanis, yet we are being stopped from celebrating Pakistan Day. We are carrying national flags, not weapons.”

He accused the Sindh government of operating under a “dictatorship”, alleging that police were focusing on suppressing PTI rather than curbing street crimes in Karachi.

PTI-Karachi president Raja Azhar also denounced the crackdown, questioning, “As Pakistani citizens, do we not have the right to celebrate Pakistan Day?”

He predicted the downfall of the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh.

When contacted, DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the police placed barricades and parked buses on

Sarwar Shaeed Road and some other arteries due to “security reasons”.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025