KARACHI:
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) heads back to Sindh on Saturday for a rally, and plans to focus on the province’s major political concerns in the months ahead.
The party’s February 25 rally in Umerkot is being organised by the Ghousia Jamaat, followers of PTI vice chairperson Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader who has served as foreign minister.
“We are coordinating with them,” PTI Sindh General Secretary Dr Hasan Raza told The Express Tribune.
Qureshi chose Ghotki – instead of his base of Multan - to formally announce that he was joining PTI at a November 27 rally that largely comprised Ghousia Jamaat members, who consider Qureshi their spiritual leader.
The PTI’s efforts to build a niche for itself in the province have not yield much yet. Despite the success of its rallies in Ghotki and Karachi, no prominent Sindh-based politicians have jumped ship to the party.
Qureshi met several political leaders during his visits to Karachi, including Sindh United Party president Jalal Mehmood Shah, but the nationalists are still wary of the PTI.
Qureshi also attended the funeral of Pir Pagaro VII last month.
The party believes the Umerkot rally will show “those who hold claim to Sindh” that the Imran Khan-led party has a visible presence in the province.
“The people of Sindh have no facilities, there is inflation,” Raza said. “The area that we have chosen for the rally, Tharparkar, is one of the least developed.”
According to the PTI, chairperson Imran Khan will be taking a more active role in promoting the party in the province in the months ahead.
Khan told a delegation of journalists from the Sukkur Press Club earlier this week that the party will be travelling across Sindh to persuade people that they need to support the “wave of change”.
A press release issued by the party quoted Khan as saying that his “travels through Sindh made him realise that interior Sindh was as backward as Balochistan with feudals and Sardars holding sway” and that “no leader had really done anything for the poor people of these regions.”
Qureshi and Khan are scheduled to arrive in Mirpurkhas and will reach Umerkot by 1 pm for the rally.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
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Every person who is a Muslim indeed, has to be the upholder and practicioner of JUSTICE. Those who do not have JUSTICE in their thoughts, words and deeds can just forget that they are or were ever Muslims. The way for Muslims to manage their lands is also based upon Justice. Hence every Muslim has been made responsible to bring about the practice of Justice with Compassion in their locality where they live. Here are the Commands of the Lord (swt) most ignored by people calling themselves Muslims. "Come together to rally round Me, so you can unite." When people have come together to unite, the Command is "When you come to deal with those matters that affect people, then do consult them and remember, uphold Justice at all the times." So to organise peoples' Consultative Committees or Peoples' Shoorah is the responsibility of every Muslim. Every one is paying a very heavy price today for ignoring Divine Guidance. Nothing will change for the people. Not until they change their ways and instead of leaving everything for others to do, take responsibility themselves by coming together regularly in their localities, in order to make Justics and Compassion a very commonly found commodity.
If IK fails we ALL fail! Get his msg across-surely he can not do it alone. Pakistan does NOT need any more politicians-it NEEDS DOERS-which is what IK is about. He is NOT a politician but a honest & hard working worker. Come on EVeryone-LETS DO IT FOR PAKISTAN
@Akhtar: Please substantiate your claim with some data.
Sometimes Sindh nationalist perties get so illogical that it seems difficult that National Party like PTI to have alliance with them.
Entire nation is with Imran khan and PTI...INSHALLAH...PTI will win
PTI will sweep Sindh, God willing.
Ye cheez.... Keep up the good work and change the nation...
Imran KHan is Zaid Hamid are two sides of the same coin in terms of ideology, reliability, thought process, establishment background.
This town has a large Hindu population, PTI should definitely take advantage of this section of votebank
the reason why i chose imran khan is not only because he gives me hope the fact is the man has delivered in everything field he has set his foot in. Some how i have faith he will change fortunes for Pakistan. Deep inside i also do feel baloch will trust him in power more than anybody else.
Yea its their right, I think this post doesn't deserve any criticism, how about that friends??