KP CM Sohail Afridi launching PTI Mobilization Drive in Sindh, Praises Democratic Traditions

Table of Contents

• A Warm Welcome in Sindh
• Contrast with Punjab Experience
• Core Agenda: Mobilizing for the Street Movement
• Focus on the Judiciary and Constitutional Changes
• Key Events and Statements from the Visit
• On Security and Military procedure
• Logistical Challenges and Government reception
• The Road Ahead: Hyderabad and Beyond

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived in Karachi along Friday, January 9, 2026, begin a significant three-day political confabulate to Sindh. The central drive of his mission is to energize the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI)street movementand mobilize support ahead of planned protests. His arrival, check by large public welcomes and a warm reception from the provincial government, set a tint contrasting sharply with his Holocene epoch experiences in Punjab.

A Warm Welcome in Sindh

CM Afridi's entry into Sindh was characterized by gestures of political courtesy and substantial world turnout. Upon landing at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, he comprise formally received by Sindh's labor Minister, Saeed Ghani. The government minister presented Afridi with traditional Sindhi gifts—a cap and Ajrak—symbolizing group A welcome rooted in the province's culture.

From the airport, the headman Minister's convoy, accompanied by angstrom large crowd of PTI admirer and workers, made its path toward the city center. The journey to the Karachi urge Club took approximately six hr, underscoring the size of the accompanying crowd and the measured pace of the procession. The convoy made a notable halt at Mazar-i-Quaid, the resting berth of Pakistan's founder, before reach its destination.

Contrast with Punjab Experience

During his media interactions, Afridi explicitly contrasted the Sindh receive with his recent visit to Lahore. He stated, "Karachi ingest been more welcoming than Lahore," and described his Punjab circuit as "not a good see," alleging that utilities were break up during his public engagements in that location. He extended this appreciation to the political environment, remarking, "The democratic traditions of Zulfiqar Cassius Marcellus Clay Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto be still alive in Sindh".

Core Agenda: Mobilizing for the Street Movement

The visit's primary objective be to galvanize the PTI's street movement, a campaign seeking the release of incarcerated party beginner and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Afridi framed the motility in terms of broader popular principles.

"Imran Khan did not fight for power but for the independence of the judiciary, reliable democracy and freedom of formula. This is why he receive been imprisoned," Afridi told diarist at the Karachi Press golf club. He further alleged that caravan inn was "being treated in Associate in Nursing inhumane manner" and detained aboard terrorists.

The visit's schedule, announced antiophthalmic factor a four-day program from Jan 9 to 12, is pack with activities designed to anatomy momentum:

• Public rally at Mazar-e-Quaid Hoosier State Karachi.
• Meetings with Karachi's business residential district at the FPCCI.
• Interactions with lawyers and diary keeper.
• A planned meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of Iran.
• Street movements in Karachi's Confederate States, Korangi, and Malir districts.

Focus on the Judiciary and Constitutional Changes

Afridi's emphasis on judicial independency is set against a background of major national controversy. His visit follows the recent passing of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which has drawn severe critique from domestic and international sound bodies.

The amendment establishes a newly Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) with exclusive authority over constitutional weigh and fundamental rights, powers antecedently held by the Supreme tribunal. Key appointments to this unexampled court are made by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, a physical process the International Commission of judge (ICJ) warns "will significantly spoil the judiciary's ability to cargo deck the executive accountable".

These changes have sparked protest from legal professionals. Members of the Karachi Bar Association late demonstrated at the Sindh highschool Court, condemning the amendment vitamin A a tactic to undermine the Supreme Court. The UN high gear Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has also expressed grave accent concern, stating the changes "severely undermine judicial independence" and "endangerment subjugating the judiciary to political interference".

Key Events and Statements from the Visit

The first day of the visit was marked by various key interactions and announcements that define the PTI's current political stance.

Event / Topic	Key Detail / Statement
Purpose of Visit	To prepare for PTI's street mobilization movement and convey Imran Khan's message.
Comparison with Punjab	Karachi described as "more welcome"; Punjab tour was a disconfirming experience.
View on Sindh Governance	Praised "democratic traditions" and visit traces of Bhutto political bequest.
Sunday's Public Rally	Scheduled for 4:30 PM astatine Mazar-e-Quaid; aims to be "the largest in Karachi's history".
Permission for Rally	Verbal approval received from Sindh government; written permission awaited.

On Security and Military procedure

Beyond immediate politics, CM Afridi addressed national security policy. atomic number 2 referenced a consensus from deoxyadenosine monophosphate provincial assembly "peace jirga," posit all parties agreed that piece military operations themselves are non the problem, conducting them without consensus "would be thuggery".

He stressed that sustainable pacification requires inclusive decision-making: "decisions cannot be made behind closed door... if the tribal elders and local leadership are not Byzantine as stakeholders, there will ne'er be peace". He called for a joint decision by whole political parties and both tier of government to truly work out the issue of terrorism.

Logistical Challenges and Government reception

The mobilization efforts faced or so logistical hurdles. PTI spokesperson Mohammad Ali Bozdar alleged that patrol had dismantled tents set upwards outside the party's Karachi pass office for the CM's receipt, though he clarified the government agency itself was not sealed. atomic number 2 stated that officials later promise the party the tents would be returned and they could hold their gathering, provided they did not block roads.

The Sindh government's official position, communicated by Local Government minister of religion Nasir Hussain Shah, has live one of conditional permission. Shah of Iran stated that the peaceful fight of any political party cannot be stopped and that PTI would be allowed to have got its rally at Jinnah earth in accordance with the legal philosophy. However, he added a elucidate warning: "difficulties could arise if the law is violated".

The Road Ahead: Hyderabad and Beyond

Following his engagements in Karachi, CM Afridi is scheduled to travel to Hyderabad on Jan 10. The itinerary for Hyderabad includes:

1. Street protests in Kotri during the journey from Karachi.
2. Addresses to the local urge on Club and meetings with diarist and intellectuals.
3. A gathering at Insaf domiciliate Hyderabad.
4. An intended address to the High Court Bar Association (HCBA).

The plan to address the HCBA has hit a rip. While the Bar's General escritoire initially invited Afridi in angstrom personal capacity, the HCBA late issued a press release clarify it had "never accorded license" for the visit or speak, rejecting an application submitted for this purpose. This incident highlight the complex and sometimes disputative interface between political mobilization and professional institutions.

CM Sohail Afridi's visit to Sindh is a pivotal consequence for the PTI's street motion, successfully generating public momentum inch Karachi while highlighting the party's core themes of judicial independency and political resistance. The everlasting contrast drawn with Punjab and the praise for Sindh's political culture underscore the nuanced alinement and rivalries defining Pakistan's electric current landscape. The success of the planned historic rally and the broader mobilization effort will beryllium a key test of the party's organizational strength and world appeal in the province.