Politicians divided Karachi on ethnic, religious grounds for personal gains: Imran

PTI chief says his party will destroy monopoly of single party in Karachi on December 5

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said politicians divided the people of Karachi into different ethnicities and religious sects for personal gains.

“Hate was spread in Karachi in the name of different ethnicities and sects while Baloch and Katchi communities were divided in Lyari,” Imran said while addressing a gathering of party workers and supporters in Kakri ground of Karachi’s restive Lyari Town on Sunday.

Outside Kakri ground - Lyari when chairman @ImranKhanPTI left from there. #KHIRisesWithIK pic.twitter.com/0T3VzfIvnL

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

In Lyari people have been divided on the basis of castes & ethnicity & somebody else took advantage of it @ImranKhanPTI #KHIRisesWithIK

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

The PTI chairman, who arrived in Karachi on Saturday as part of the campaigning for local government elections in the city, said Karachi, once a city of lights was fast progressing but due to the spread of hate and hostilities among its different communities, it lagged behind.



“Dubai would not have become Dubai if Karachi had remained vibrant and progressing,” he said, adding traders and businessmen of Karachi moved to Dubai and Bangladesh due to rising unrest, which resulted in a great loss to the country’s economy.

It all happened before my eyes when i saw Karachi going down and Dubai's economy growing up @ImranKhanPTI #KHIRisesWithIK

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

In two years 430 billion rupees have been transferred to Dubai @ImranKhanPTI #KHIRisesWithIK

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

Imran admonished the people of Karachi not to vote for those party leaders who do not have any stake in the country.

“Nawaz Sharif fled to Jeddah and then London; Asif Zardari went to the UK and New York when he came out of jail while Altaf Hussain has been in London for a long time,” he said, questioning their patriotism and sincerity to the nation.

How can you trust somebody who's life and death isn't in Pakistan, who's all the stakes are abroad? @ImranKhanPTI #KHIRisesWithIK

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

The PTI chief said Karachi was Pakistan’s financial hub, and hence its progress was vital to the country’s progress.

“Only good governance can resolve the issues of Karachi. Merit-based system and depoliticising police and other government institutions are needed to resolve all issues of the city,” said Imran.

The cricketer-turned politician alleged the prime minister to have connived with leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to stop implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), saying they want to save their vested interests.



Imran vowed to resolve all issues of Karachi, saying he will come to Karachi on December 6 to celebrate his party’s victory in the polls, which are scheduled on December 5.

I will come to Karachi again after 5th December to celebrate the win Inshallah @ImranKhanPTI #KHIRisesWithIK

— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 29, 2015

Imran addresses PTI’s corner meeting in Banaras Colony

Earlier, Imran urged his party activists to carry out a door-to-door election campaign in the city to persuade the people of Karachi to vote only for PTI and its political ally Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

Speaking at a corner meeting in Banaras Colony, he said, “We will destroy the monopoly of a single party in Karachi and create history,” Imran said, apparently criticising the MQM.

PTI Janoon for Chairman @ImranKhanPTI at Banaras Chowk, Karachi today. #BallayPayThappa pic.twitter.com/28FYywClXT

— Naz Baloch (@NazBaloch_) November 29, 2015

Imran addresses ISF convention at Qayyumabad

In his address to a convention of the Insaf Student Federation in city’s Qayyumabad area, the PTI chief said Pakistanis were experiencing dictatorship under the garb of democracy.

“People should be made free to take their own decisions because democracy means freedom.”

Imran said a democratic system was based on the people’s government but lamented that people in Pakistan were experiencing a "democratic dictatorship," which does not want to hold LG polls.

“They are carrying out LG elections only because the PTI had announced the polls in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” the PTI chief claimed.

Earlier, the PTI chairman had breakfast at a friend’s house in Zamzama area, where former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram, his wife and other PTI leaders were present.

.@ImranKhanPTI, @wasimakramlive catch up over breakfast in Karachi https://t.co/sjyrWUXJoc pic.twitter.com/UavdoVjAOS

— The Express Tribune (@etribune) November 29, 2015