Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon addresses the press conference in Karachi on Tuesday. Photo: Express
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of attempting to replicate the events of May 9 during Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s recent visit to Karachi. He said the provincial government showed restraint and refrained from registering any case despite repeated provocations.
Last week, CM Afridi visited Sindh, holding a rally in Karachi and also visiting Hyderabad and Jamshoro during his four-day trip. The rally, originally scheduled for Bagh-e-Jinnah, was disrupted en route, with PTI alleging that authorities had blocked key routes to prevent party workers from reaching the venue and had placed containers along the CM’s route. Despite the roadblocks, the overwhelming turnout at the site forced him to address supporters at Numaish Chowrangi instead.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Memon said the Sindh government demonstrated patience and tolerance, but its decency was taken advantage of. He made it clear that the provincial administration would not allow any wheel-jam strike on February 8.
Memon said that a few days earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister had visited Karachi and that, upon learning of the visit, the Sindh government contacted him to assure full security and necessary facilities. He added that a threat alert had also been received in advance but was deliberately not made public to prevent anyone from exploiting the situation.
According to the information minister, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah had contacted the PTI leadership, and discussions initially continued in a positive environment. “Provincial Minister Saeed Ghani welcomed the PTI leaders, and on the first day it was mutually agreed that certain areas would be visited while others would be avoided due to security concerns,” he said. However, he added, the PTI leaders proceeded to District Central despite being advised otherwise.
Read: K-P CM thanks people of Sindh, criticises provincial govt over PTI treatment
“What would the Sindh government have gained if you were stuck for a few hours?” Memon asked. “What would we gain by keeping you stuck in traffic for four hours?”
Referring to permission for a PTI rally, Memon said that approval had been sought verbally and was already granted. He added that within five minutes of receiving written permission, PTI leaders issued a statement announcing they would not hold the rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah and would instead stage it on the road. He said that before any rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah, traffic police prepare a comprehensive plan, and Nasir Shah had even offered the K-P chief minister additional support, including manpower, if required.
Memon alleged that PTI once again attempted to engineer an incident similar to May 9, claiming that despite stone-pelting at police, vandalism of media vehicles and misbehaviour with women journalists, the Sindh government did not register any case. He described such conduct as part of PTI’s political tradition and said it reflected a mindset shaped by leadership that promotes chaos and rebellion.
Despite these incidents, he said, no case was registered against PTI. “Their politics is based on disorder, while ours is democratic,” Memon said, adding that the provincial government’s decency was unfairly exploited. He accused PTI of conspiring against Pakistan and its institutions, saying that despite hospitality and clear ideological differences, the Sindh government responded with restraint.
Reiterating his stance, the information minister said the Sindh government would not allow a wheel-jam strike on February 8.
Also Read: Govt rebukes CM Afridi for evidence remark
Memon said PTI leaders were given respect that they themselves had never extended to the provincial government. He added that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s schedule had already been fixed, yet a message was conveyed that if he could not come, the Sindh leadership was willing to visit instead.
He further alleged that PTI deliberately chose prohibited routes and locations, attempted to enter areas where permission had been denied, and violated administrative instructions. “The question is what mission they were on; only God knows,” he said, adding that PTI later raised objections after deliberately using restricted routes.
The information minister also criticised the policies of the former PTI-led government regarding militant groups, asking whether people had forgotten discussions about opening Taliban offices in Pakistan. He questioned who had ordered the release of Taliban leaders arrested during the Pakistan Peoples Party’s tenure. “During the PPP government, operations were carried out against the Taliban, but after Imran Khan assumed power and Shah Mahmood Qureshi became foreign minister, the same Taliban leaders were released,” he said.
He alleged that convicted individuals and detainees were freed without following legal procedures or approaching courts. “If a government wants to release convicted individuals, it must follow the law and the courts,” he said, adding that during that period courts were bypassed and Taliban leaders were released.
