KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is all set to organise a massive political power show on Saturday (today) at Bagh-i-Jinnah, where former prime minister Imran Khan would address Karachiites.

A stage has been set at the venue in the shadow of the Quaid’s mausoleum.

Arrangements at the venue also speak of the party’s expectation about the crowd as for the first time in the history of rallies in Karachi, the PTI claimed to have set up the biggest stage for the show.

“The stage has been built using 100 containers,” said MPA Shahzad Qureshi, one of the organisers. “We have never seen such a huge stage for any rally in Karachi.”

Former PM Imran Khan to address rally

He said that because of the recent political crisis, everyone — from a poor labourer to an industrialist of the city and from youngsters to old ones — wanted to see a glimpse of their leader Imran Khan.

“If you go through the M. A. Jinnah Road, New M. A. Jinnah and all those arteries connecting Bagh-i-Jinnah, you would find loudspeakers everywhere. The history of Karachi politics will take a new course tomorrow [Saturday],” he said.

Security

The Karachi police have also made detailed security arrangements and as admitted by the PTI leadership, the party extended every possible help for the security.

However, the party itself has a pool of over a thousand volunteers for all arrangements, including security, seating and movement of shuttle service from the designated points to bring families to Bagh-i-Jinnah.

“We have devised a plan. For families, we have asked to take a route that would lead them to Society traffic intersection from where they can enter Bagh-i-Jinnah through Shahrah-i-Quaideen,” said Mr Qureshi. “Those coming from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar or through University Road can park their vehicles at the VIP gate of Mazar-i-Quaid.

Similarly, parking arrangements have been made at Nishtar Park, KGA Ground and China Ground from where a shuttle service would bring the families to the venue.”

The PTI rally is being held less than a week after a storm of people thronged the Millennium Mall traffic intersection from all over the city on the call of PTI chairman Imran Khan for an agitation against his removal from the government.

Even PTI critics and political pundits have no doubt that the PTI through its Saturday’s rally is going to “prove its Karachi power again”.

The party claims that the show had already begun and it would not be “less than a million people crowd” which would roar with its leader at Bagh-i-Jinnah against the “selected government”.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2022