Imran, Siraj arrive in city today to lead joint rally
JI and PTI workers will march from Star Gate to Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum
By our correspondents
November 28, 2015
Karachi The chiefs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) — allies for the upcoming local bodies election in Karachi — will arrive in the city around noon on Saturday to lead a joint rally as part of the election of both parties. Imran Khan and Siraj-ul-Haq will be welcomed with a reception organised near Stargate around 1pm where leaders and supporters of PTI-JI alliance will also be present. From here the rally will emerge after lunch to march towards the Quaid’s mausoleum, where it will culminate. The joint rally will pass through Millennium Mall, NIPA, Hassan Square and Patel Para before reaching the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Once here, the leaders will offer prayers and address the party workers. This was announced in an urgent press conference by Karachi chief of JI and PTI, Hafiz Naeem and Ali Zaidi, at the Insaf House on Friday. They said both allies had their roots in the common people, and this was why they were the true representatives of the masses. They were of the view that only JI and PTI were capable of resolving the issues of the people since, unlike others, they worked with honesty and devotion. The JI-PTI leaders said the city was plagued with worsened law and order and unemployed youth. They said both issued were interconnected, since joblessness fuelled the crime rate. They leaders vowed to bring change into the city and replace the prevailing unrest with an environment where youth will have access to all opportunities. They urged the people to come out and vote for the counsellor of their choice in order to do their part to bring peace, tranquillity and sustainable development in the city. Hafiz Naeem and Ali Zaidi were critical of the attitude of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and said the party should refrain from creating hurdles in due action against criminal elements in the city. They said the MQM should not colour the actions of Rangers against criminals by the brush of ethnicity. Also speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi thanked the Provincial Election Commissioner Tanveer Zaki for forwarding the demands of deploying Rangers to Islamabad. He also announced that PTI chairman Imran Khan will address corner meetings across the city on Sunday. The PTI chief will also address a public gathering being convened at the Kakri ground in Lyari where Asif Ali Zardari and late Benazir Bhutto tied the knot some 28 years ago.