KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi Vows to Hold Karachi Rally Despite Roadblocks

On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister, Sohail Afridi, made it plain that his convoy would not leave Sindh until a PTI rally had taken place in Karachi. The statement came as his team trudged through a series of roadblocks that, according to Afridi, were being set up by officials loyal to the ruling PPP in the province.

For the past five days the KP CM, flanked by PTI’s provincial president Junaid Akbar, has been criss‑crossing Sindh, gathering supporters for a massive nationwide protest slated for September 27. The protest is meant to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and his urgent medical care at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital.

Earlier on September 6, Afridi addressed enthusiastic crowds in Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad. He complained that “authorities are creating hurdles” for his convoy, a claim that was echoed later that night when he told reporters he would stay put until a rally could be held in the provincial capital.

“If we cannot reach Karachi today, God willing we will hold the rally tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then the day after,” Afridi said, his tone mixing resolve with a hint of frustration. “I will not take a single step out of Sindh without launching a street movement in Karachi. I will stay here until the objective is achieved.”

Afri​di also took the opportunity to reference comments made earlier by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto‑Zardari. “We are welcomed on social media, while on the other hand, roadblocks are being erected along our route,” he said, demanding that Bilawal name the people responsible. “The people of Sindh will question you, because the government and police are all under your watch. If the police are not doing this, then remove the police from the scene and let whoever is responsible come forward.”

Meanwhile, PTI’s Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh posted on X that the caravan would “reach Karachi in any way by defying all the hurdles.” Earlier that evening he claimed to be “clearing obstacles” on the Kotri bridge, a vital link out of Hyderabad.

Karachi’s District East police issued a stern warning that no public gatherings would be allowed around Mazar‑i‑Quaid on Shahrah‑i‑Quaideen, the site PTI had earmarked for its rally. The police said any unauthorized gathering would invite legal action and noted that security had been “further strengthened” amid a “current threat situation.”

A senior police officer, who asked to remain unnamed, said the closures around Mazar‑i‑Quaid were not about PTI at all but were driven by a security alert. The officer added that while the district administration had not cleared a rally at the shrine, the party could still hold a gathering at the Super Highway toll plaza or near Jail Chowrangi, where there were “no restrictions.”

According to the same source, a handful of PTI supporters tried to reach Mazar‑i‑Quaid on Sunday evening, only to be detained. He said roughly 150‑200 party workers gathered, clashed with police, and that “the law enforcers resorted to shelling to disperse them,” resulting in injuries to a policeman and the detention of several activists.

Traffic police also confirmed that several major arteries around the shrine were blocked as part of a “red‑alert” security measure. As of 6 pm, both sides of Shahrah‑i‑Quaideen were closed, with traffic diverted to alternate routes such as Khalid Bin Waleed Road, Tariq Road and the Star Gate side of Saddar Dawakhana.

In Hyderabad, Afridi’s speech turned fiery when he shouted, “Who does Hyderabad belong to?” The crowd roared in approval. He also used the platform to criticize the Punjab chief minister, adding a political edge to his Sindh tour.

Whether the KP chief minister’s determination will translate into a full‑blown rally in Karachi remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the PTI’s push for a September 27 protest has already ignited a series of confrontations that could shape the political narrative in both Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for weeks to come.