Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived in Karachi on Friday to begin a three-day visit aimed at mobilising support for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) street movement.
Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani received the KP chief minister at the airport, where the two exchanged greetings. Afridi was presented with a traditional Sindhi cap and an Ajrak as part of the welcome.
During the visit Afridi will meet party leaders, lawyers, business organisations, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and media representatives in Karachi. At Islamabad Airport members of the public took selfies with the chief minister, who was accompanied by provincial cabinet members and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s members of the National and Provincial Assemblies.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Afridi said Sindh party leadership had shared the visit schedule and called for participation in planned activities, including a rally at Mazar-e-Quaid on Sunday. He announced he would hold a major public gathering at Mazar-e-Quaid on Sunday at 4:30 pm, claiming it would be the largest rally in Karachi’s history, and said the visit is meant to convey party founder Imran Khan’s message and strengthen the street movement.
Afridi’s Sindh visit follows a trip to Lahore, where he was prevented from addressing supporters at Liberty Chowk after police blocked routes. He later addressed PTI lawmakers at the Punjab Assembly, where confrontations were reported between members of his entourage and security officials. During the Lahore visit he was also barred from entering the cantonment area to meet party leaders and from visiting the city’s food street, which had been closed ahead of his arrival.