Impressive entry into Karachi: KP CM urges people to join Sep 27 protest for IK’s release
KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi made a forceful entry into Karachi on Monday, drawing large crowds during his journey through Sindh and calling on people to join the PTI’s September 27 protest movement for the release of party founder Imran Khan.
Wearing a traditional Sindhi cap and ajrak, Afridi praised the people of Sindh for their “courage, respect and hospitality” and appealed to them to support the PTI’s campaign against the government. “You don’t need to go to D-Chowk Islamabad. Make every chowk a D-Chowk on September 27,” he told an enthusiastic gathering.
The crowd responded with chants of “Every Chowk is D-Chowk”, turning the gathering into an energetic show of support for the PTI. Sohail Afridi said the country’s “corrupt rulers” could only be removed if Imran Khan was once again supported and elected prime minister. He said that the PTI founder is the country’s sole hope for national unity and accused the ruling PML-N of being “anti-state”.
He also questioned controversial remarks by the Punjab chief minister concerning terrorism threats from neighbouring provinces and comments that, he said, played down the threat posed by India. He asked whether the Punjab chief minister would apologise to the nation. He said Imran Khan was fighting for what he called a just cause, particularly for the country’s youth, and urged people to build pressure on the government for his release.
Speaking at the Sindh High Court Bar, Afridi turned his criticism towards the government and judiciary, calling for lawyers to play a leading role in restoring the rule of law and judicial independence. He alleged that the government had ignored court orders, including orders concerning Imran Khan’s medical treatment and meetings with his family and lawyers.
“The judges cannot even enforce their own orders,” he argued, saying the judiciary had lost much of its independence, dignity and public trust. The CM KP linked the weakening of the judiciary to the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, which he said had left the courts powerless. He urged lawyers and young people to join what he described as a struggle to free the judiciary, press freedom and society from an unrepresentative government.
Sohail Afridi alleged that the legal system was being used selectively, with FIRs deployed as political tools against opponents while those in power remained “untouchable”. He claimed that a strong political wave in favour of PTI was emerging in Sindh and described it as an “unstoppable” movement for change.
The KP chief minister said Karachi had suffered for decades because successive governments had exploited its resources without delivering the development the city deserved. “Sometimes murderers and other times thieves were imposed on Karachi,” he said, arguing that Imran Khan had been different from previous rulers.
He also criticised the hurdles faced by PTI supporters during his Sindh visit. He said that although statements of welcome were issued online, supporters encountered roadblocks, containers and arrests on the ground. He apologised to Karachi residents for the disruption caused by road closures and other obstacles during his journey.
He questioned the legitimacy of the present assemblies, alleging that the public mandate had been ignored and that several seats belonging to his party had been taken away unfairly. Despite holding key government positions, he said, the current rulers had failed to unite the country or respect democratic principles.
Sohail Afridi also rejected political statements that, he said, targeted smaller provinces, warning that such rhetoric would create further divisions in the country. He pledged to stand with the people of Sindh for their constitutional rights and fair political representation. Reflecting on his own political journey, he said he came from a modest middle-class family and had no political dynasty behind him.
He credited Imran Khan with opening the door for ordinary Pakistanis to enter politics and public service, contrasting this with the country’s traditional dynastic politics. He ended his address with an appeal for peaceful participation in the September 27 movement. He made it clear that supporters did not need to travel to Islamabad or assemble at D-Chowk. Instead, he urged them to turn streets and public squares in Karachi and other cities into centres of protest and pressure for the release of Imran Khan and what he described as the restoration of constitutional and democratic rule.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026