Imran coming to Karachi on August 19: PTI

Imran Khan is coming to Karachi on August 19 for three big rallies that will be a power show of the party ahead of the August 28 by-elections on three National Assembly seats, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman on Monday.

PTI Chief Imran Khan is contesting on nine vacant seats of National Assembly in by-elections including the three in the port city.

Imran will hold rallies in Malir, Lyari and Korangi, Zaman said talking to the media at Insaf House.

"Besides, by-elections, Imran Khan will also garner support for the upcoming local bodies elections," he said adding that PTI is all set to sweep the local government polls and has already prepared a plan for the development of Karachi under its mayor.

Referring to the Haqiqi Azadi Jalsa of PTI in Lahore, he said people of Pakistan have celebrated true independence for the first time on this August 14.

There was no street in the country where a screen was not installed to hear Imran Khan's address on August 14. Millions of people shared their voice with Imran Khan's voice on that day foiling the anti-establishment narrative of the PDM parties.

Zaman said that elements who want to create a misconception between Imran and Pak Army will never succeed as the PTI chief has reiterated that the existence of Pakistan's army is necessary for the security and sovereignty of the country.

He added said that political forces who were together in looting the resources of Karachi through corruption were now together in fighting Imran.

Zaman said the PPP-MQM-P alliance would fail to defeat PTI. "The politics of MQM will be buried forever in the up-coming election."

PPP during its tenure treated Karachi like a step mother, yet MQM-P jpined its coalition. PPP has withdrawn from contesting elections in NA-245 and announced to support MQM-P candidate, "which is a good news for us," Zaman said adding it would be easy to defeat them both in a single blow.

He went on further to say that, the Sindh's government released funds of Rs2 billion rupees for repair of infrastructure after rains in Karachi. "Murad Ali Shah should tell us where these funds were spent?"

Zaman said that many people in Karachi have suffered dislocated vertebral column due to city's broken roads. Imran will is coming to Karachi for the betterment of the people.

"We hope that local body elections of Karachi will not be postponed since MQM is trying to postpone these elections. MQM is seeing its clear defeat in the election," Zaman said that the PTI's mayor will work for the improvement of Karachi's infrastructure.

PTI's aim is to provide clean sanitation and best transport system to the residents of Karachi. Millions of trees will be planted in Karachi, under the Billion Tree Project. PTI will complete the Safe City project in Karachi.

Zaman said that he was the brother of a martyr and PTI condemns the anti-army statements and considers it a national responsibility to respect Pak Army.

"We have completed the Green Line project for the citizens of Karachi," he said adding Imran took the responsibility to complete KCR and K-4 in the city. Imran provided Fire Brigade facility to the citizens of Karachi besides assuming the drains cleaning responsibility in the city. He got completed the construction of six flyovers of Nazimabad. Streets, parks and roads were repaired in the city from MNA's funds. Zaman claimed that there were no restrictions on the media in Imran Khan's led government whereas the current government has gagged media.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2022.