KARACHI: (HRNW): Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh on Wednesday announced that the party would observe August 5 as a “Black Day” and stage peaceful protests across Sindh and the rest of the country to mark three years since the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Addressing a press conference at Insaf House Karachi, Haleem Adil Sheikh described August 5 as the day when “Pakistan’s most popular leader was unjustly arrested,” adding that three years had passed since what he called “a dark period of oppression and injustice.” He said protests would be held across all districts and tehsils of Sindh, while the party’s main public gathering would take place at outside of Karachi Press Club.
The press conference was attended by PTI Karachi President Raja Azhar, PTI Sindh Vice President Mir Manzoor Khoso, Saddar Town Chairman Mansoor Ahmed Sheikh, PTI Sindh spokesperson Muhammad Ali Baloch, Karachi spokesperson Fauzia Siddiqui, PTI leaders, Naveed Siddiqui, Advocate Khan Zaman, Rashid Waleed Hashmi, and other party leaders.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said PTI had remained engaged in a month-long public outreach campaign throughout July and would demonstrate on August 5 that the party remained united under “one leader, one party and one ideology.” He alleged that attempts to create divisions within the party were part of a conspiracy by its opponents and maintained that party unity would pave the way for Imran Khan’s release.
He urged supporters to participate in the protest movement, saying that judicial independence and the release of Imran Khan were closely linked and asserting that the people of Pakistan continued to stand with the former prime minister.
Turning to the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Haleem Adil Sheikh expressed concern over recent developments, recalling Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s description of Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein.” He alleged that force was being used against civilians, bloodshed had taken place and Pakistan’s position on Kashmir was being undermined internationally.
Rejecting the AJK elections, he claimed that voter turnout had been historically low and alleged that public participation remained below five per cent, arguing that the election results could not be regarded as a genuine reflection of the will of the Kashmiri people. He further alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had reached an understanding regarding political control in Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK.
Haleem Adil Sheikh strongly condemned the reported firing on participants of a public march in AJK and expressed condolences to the families of those killed while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. He demanded an independent and transparent judicial inquiry into the incident, punishment for those responsible, the resignation of the existing AJK government, the formation of a national government through consultation among stakeholders, cancellation of the remaining phases of the elections, and fresh, free and fair elections across AJK on a single day.
He also called for an immediate end to the use of force, acceptance of the demands raised by the Public Action Committee, and implementation of commitments made to the people of Kashmir. He said Pakistan should pursue dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue, arguing that if the country could facilitate international negotiations elsewhere, it should also encourage talks on Kashmir.
Responding to recent remarks by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Haleem Adil Sheikh condemned what he described as the politics of violence and intimidation. He urged Mr Bhutto to withdraw his comments and asserted that PTI workers would not be intimidated by threats or violence. He also questioned the PPP’s support for the federal government while simultaneously referring to it as a “Form-47 government.”
Discussing Karachi’s civic situation, Haleem Adil Sheikh described the recent tragedy in Shafiq Colony, Sohrab Goth, where a four-year-old child, Shavez, drowned in the Lyari River and a young man, Gulab, lost his life while attempting to rescue him, as evidence of administrative failure. He alleged that the inability of authorities to recover the child for several hours reflected the incompetence of the Sindh government, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Rescue 1122, the Mayor of Karachi and the local administrations of Sohrab Goth and Gulberg Town.
He further claimed that despite KMC’s Rs63 billion budget and billions of rupees allocated for Karachi, the city’s storm-water drains remained clogged with garbage, while the Lyari River had become increasingly hazardous. Referring to another recent incident in Moach Goth in which a seven-year-old child allegedly died after falling into an uncovered manhole, he said Karachi’s roads, drainage network and public utilities had deteriorated badly, with shortages of water, electricity and gas continuing across the city.
The PTI Sindh chief also expressed concern over the health sector, claiming that dozens of children had recently been diagnosed with HIV at Valika Hospital. He alleged that HIV infections were increasing across Sindh and accused the provincial government of failing to provide adequate healthcare, education and law and order.
Haleem Adil Sheikh maintained that major infrastructure projects, including K-IV and the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project, were initiated during the PTI government, adding that Karachi’s major drainage channels had also been cleaned during Imran Khan’s tenure.
Criticising the recent increase in petroleum prices, he said the government had raised petrol prices by Rs1.63 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs1.55 per litre despite declining international oil prices. He claimed that petrol prices had increased by Rs38 per litre and diesel by Rs79 per litre during July alone, alleging that more than Rs125 per litre was being collected through levies and taxes, resulting in higher transport and food costs.
Haleem Adil Sheikh also condemned the alleged assault on PTI leader Aliya Hamza in prison and demanded a judicial inquiry, registration of an FIR, action against those responsible and measures to ensure the safety of all political prisoners.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI Karachi President Raja Azhar alleged that both the PML-N and the PPP were engaged in political point-scoring over AJK while failing to represent the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He said PTI’s election-related cases were pending before the courts and maintained that the party possessed Form-45 documents, adding that constitutional and legal procedures should be followed.
Raja Azhar further alleged that Karachi’s three major storm-water drains and 540 smaller drains remained heavily clogged despite significant budgetary allocations. He said Rs960 million had been allocated for drain cleaning last year, while Rs6 billion had been earmarked this year, but little improvement was visible. With the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasting heavy rainfall, he warned that Karachi could face severe urban flooding unless drainage channels were cleared immediately.
He added that rising street crime, child abductions, inflation and repeated increases in fuel prices had made life increasingly difficult for Karachi’s residents. He claimed that those in power feared Imran Khan’s release because it would lead to accountability.
Issued by: Adviser and Spokesperson, PTI Karachi
