The stage is set for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s public gathering in Karachi – traditionally considered the stronghold of Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement – to be held today (Sunday).
All arrangements have been completed at the Bagh-e-Quaid opposite the Quaid’s mausoleum on Shahrah-e-Qaideen for the public meeting, where PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi among other leaders are expected to address a large gathering.
The seating capacity in the ground is approximately 250,000 people but after the humiliating experience at the Kasur public meeting where the participants looted chairs, the PTI has arranged 60,000 chairs and that too for families only.
The ground has been divided into four parts: one for women; another for families; third for youth and students; and fourth for the general public. The venue has four entrances with security walk-through gates with three gates reserved for public entrance.
PTI Sindh Information Secretary Sarwar Rajpot said that along with Sindh government’s security arrangements, 1,500 volunteers of PTI will also look after the security at the venue of the public meeting.
“Four points, including the Nishtar Park, Karate Ground and the Parking Plaza in Saddar, have been set up for transport and parking facilities for the participants of the gathering. A shuttle service will operate between the meeting venue and the parking points to bring and leave the participants,” he said.
Parallel parking along the roads surrounding the Bagh-e-Quaid will not be allowed.
The PTI has also hired hundreds of buses to transport participants from different parts of the city to the venue, while renowned singers and bands, including Shehzad Roy and Strings, will keep entertaining the participants in between the speeches of political leaders.
According to the schedule, the public meeting will kick off from 2 pm.
The PTI leaders are very optimistic about the participation of the people, with provincial leaders claiming that people will come to the gathering from all parts of Karachi and other districts of Sindh.
The claim may also prove true as during the last week, almost every mobile phone owner has received an invitation for the PTI’s rally through the short message service (SMS) or a direct call on the landline telephones, with a recorded message from Imran Khan. Every road and street in the city is full of hoardings, banners and stickers of the PTI’s public meeting.
Former foreign minister Qureshi is also expected to call on his followers from other districts to participate in the first meeting of PTI in Karachi.
According to political observers, due to the extensive media coverage, PTI may attract the citizens of Karachi but the fear of any developing law and order situation, mishap or disturbance, will keep the people away and most of the citizens will prefer to sit in front of their television sets to view the live coverage to avoid any risk.
The PTI chairman has already claimed that the Karachi meeting will be even bigger than that organised in Lahore, and it has become a question of respect and ego for the PTI to fulfil their chairman’s claim.
Political observers, however, doubt if Imran Khan’s party has the structure in Karachi and other districts of Sindh that is strong enough to pull as many people as it did at its Lahore gathering.
In the streets of Altaf, will Imran make a mark?
