Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday changed the venue of their May 12 public rallies a day after late night clashes between workers of the two parties at the Hakeem Saeed ground.

Addressing a press conference, PTI leadership announced that it would hold the rally at a ground adjacent to Aladdin public park.

Earlier in the day, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto had offered the PTI to go ahead with its rally at the Hakeem Saeed ground, announcing that Karachi was his party’s city and it could hold the rally anywhere.

Bilawal said the PTI announced Hakeem Saeed ground as the venue of its jalsa at a time when the PPP had already applied for permission of the administration to hold its jalsa at the ground in Gulshan. “Our preparations were on-going when the PTI set up a camp at the ground. That was a provocative step.”

“Stones were thrown at PPP workers from PTI’s camp. Our trucks were set on fire. A PTI leader’s guards fired at our workers. More than 20 workers sustained considerable injuries. I call for a complete enquiry to hold all those responsible accountable,” he said.

Bilawal said that the PTI’s attitude had been appalling but his party was changing the venue of the jalsa in the interest of peace in Karachi. “We have fought hard for this peace, we won’t let any disrupt it. I invite Imran Khan to hold his rally at Hakeem Saeed ground,” he said.

Later, PPP Karachi Division president Saeed Ghnai held a press conference alongwith Shehla Raza and Waqar Mehdi where the party announced to hold the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah.

Meanwhile, talking to the media outside Commissioner Karachi Office, PTI’s Firdous Shameem Naqvi said, “For the sake of peace in Karachi, we extend an offer to the PPP that if it withdraws its plan to hold the rally at Hakeem Saeed ground, we will reciprocate.” PTI leader Imran Ismail said that his party would find a new location for the rally, while talking to media. “Thank you very much, we will find a new location,” he said. “The confrontation that occurred yesterday was a result of PPP workers brash attitude. This has dampened the atmosphere in Karachi,” he added.

Meanwhile, arrests of party workers allegedly involved in the clashes continued on Tuesday as well. The city police have arrested several workers of both parties over firing and vandalism.

Published in Daily Times, May 9^th 2018.