Karachi is with Imran, say PTI leaders at Liaquatabad demonstration

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will not let the ‘imported’ government run away from elections and the party would come back into power with the support of the public who have been fed up with the current rulers whose policies resulted in unprecedented price hike.

PTI leaders said this on Sunday at a demonstration against inflation in Liaquatabad No 10. They predicted that Imran Khan would again become the prime minister of the country. Although the PTI had begun its court arrest movement against the government, no leader or worker of the party courted arrest at the demonstration.

Some speaker, however, said they were not afraid of arrests and the PTI’s campaign would continue until the government was removed. Karachi PTI President Aftab Siddiqui said the party had succeeded in drawing a large number of people to the protest. He lamented that the Covid-19 pandemic was over, but still business activities in the country were slow.

He added that political prisoners were not criminals and they should not be treated like criminals. He asked the authorities to stop giving mental pain to workers of the PTI. Siddiqui claimed that people of Karachi were with the PTI chairman.

The leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, said the people of Liaquatabad were ready to go to jail. Claiming that only slogans in favour of Imran were being shouted on every street of Karachi, he said Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari should see the public support for the PTI chairman.

The people who rendered sacrifices for Pakistan's creation would strengthen Imran, the PTI leader said, adding that those who orchestrated the regime change had never thought that the public would react against them like this.

Blaming former chief of army staff Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for the ouster of Imran’s government, Sheikh said Bajwa did not think of the poor people. The Sindh Assembly opposition leader said that due to the economic policies of the government, chicken meat, which was earlier sold at Rs300, was now being sold at Rs750.

He lamented that people were committing suicide due to high cost of living. He announced that the PTI would continue its protest drive until Imran was back into the power.

MPA Firdous Shamim Naqvi said Liaquatabad was named after the person who had raised a fist against India, and the people of Liaquatabad in the past had fought to support the sister of Quaid-e-Azam. He said that the people of Liaquatabad would have to take to the streets to stop the policies leading to inflation.

The PTI leader added that the rulers should be expelled from their luxurious houses when life had become difficult for the people. It was a conspiracy that resulted in dissolution of Imran’s government, Naqvi said, adding that Imran was replaced by thieves. Rana Sana and Shehbaz Sharif should be grinding flour in jail, he remarked as he criticised the ruling parties for running away from holding polls.

PTI Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly Khurrum Sher Zaman said that those who used to say that the PTI was a Clifton-based party should look at Liaquatabad. He accused Zardari for orchestrating the regime change, saying that the conspiracy was hatched up in Bilawal House.

The PTI would teach a lesson to Zardari and his friends in the elections, Zaman remarked.

MPA Saeed Afridi was of the view that there was prosperity in Pakistan 10 months ago when people had access to a successful youth programme and Ehsaas card programme. He added that in Imran’s rule, there was peace in the country, and tax collection was historical. Imran’s government was replaced by American slaves, he said.

Another party leader Bilal Ghaffar said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had betrayed the people of Liaquatabad. He added that the people of Karachi had been struggling against the imported government for a year.

Electricity and gas bills were increasing day by day and many factories and industries had been closed in the country after the regime change, he said, adding that the Inflation rate in Pakistan was already 41 per cent and there would be more inflation due to meeting the IMF’s conditions.