Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon has said the provincial authorities immediately contacted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and assured him of providing full security and facilities as soon as information was received regarding his visit to Karachi and Hyderabad.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Memon said that a threat alert had been received earlier in this regard, but it was not made public so as not to give any miscreant the chance to take advantage of the situation. However, the government and relevant institutions were informed of the potential threat, he added.
He said the KP CM had shared his visit programme in advance, and the provincial government clearly conveyed that if a bulletproof vehicle, additional police security or any other arrangement was required, it would be provided.
The KP CM declined the offer for a bulletproof vehicle and used his own vehicle, but accepted security, which was his right, and it was provided with complete protocol, he added. He also said Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah had contacted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) provincial leadership so that the entire visit programme could be organised more effectively.
The KP CM-led delegation was welcomed and informed that if they wished to hold a rally, they should specify the location, and the Sindh government would provide the venue and facilities, he added.
However, he pointed out, it was emphasised that roads should not be blocked unnecessarily, the public should not be inconvenienced and no action should be taken that could increase security concerns.
Memon said Sindh Labour Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Karachi Division President Saeed Ghani personally went to the airport to welcome the guests, where they were presented with Ajrak and Sindhi caps. He clarified that this welcome was extended sincerely, not for media attention or point scoring, as part of Sindh’s traditional hospitality.
He said that during discussions on the first day, it was advised to the delegation to avoid visiting certain sensitive areas due to security concerns. Despite this, the delegation was seen in District South in the evening, he added, and they had been advised against this visit, but the instructions were not followed.
He also said that for any VIP movement, adherence to a security plan is essential, particularly when a threat alert exists, and changing routes without planning increases risks.
The next day’s programme to visit Hyderabad was carried out with full security arrangements along the approved routes, while the bridge used on the return journey falls under the domain of the National Highway Authority and is situated on one of the country’s busiest highways, regularly used by port-related heavy traffic, he added.
The senior minister said traffic congestion there during daytime hours is common, especially when processions arrive without any prior plan. Immediately upon arrival in Hyderabad, criticism and allegations against the Sindh government were aired, even though full respect, facilities and security were provided, he added.
He rejected the allegations that the Sindh government deliberately caused traffic delays, and he questioned what benefit the government could gain by doing so. He said that had the Sindh government acted like the PTI, the delegation would neither have been welcomed nor provided any facility.
Addressing the issue of rally permission, he said the Sindh government never opposed holding a rally. He explained that the area around Bagh-e-Jinnah and Mazar-e-Quaid is managed by a federal trust, and obtaining written permission takes time.
Despite this, verbal permission was granted, but later the PTI leadership announced they would hold the rally outside the ground, for which permission could not be issued.
Memon said that during rallies of all political parties, whether in Karachi or other cities of Sindh, traffic police and other law enforcement agencies prepare security and traffic plans, temporarily blocking roads to ensure public safety. This is standard procedure, similar to arrangements made during Muharram processions, he added.
He said PTI workers pelted stones at police, assaulted journalists, particularly female journalists, and made a dangerous attempt to repeat incidents like those of May 9. However, the Sindh government exercised restraint and did not register any cases, he added.
He also said that despite video evidence and journalists being eyewitnesses, the PTI has shown no willingness to change its conduct. The PTI’s politics is based on chaos, which has caused differences not only with the Sindh government but across Pakistan, he added, and the PTI also engages in propaganda against Pakistan and national institutions from abroad.
The minister said the Sindh government extended hospitality sincerely and took the initiative in this regard. He clarified that welcoming the PTI’s CM does not indicate any possibility of a future alliance between the PPP and the PTI.
He said that while the PTI’s politics is confrontational, the politics of the PPP is peaceful, democratic and constitutional. Nonetheless, as a guest of the province, the KP CM was provided security and facilities as a moral responsibility, he added. This goodwill was unfortunately misused, administrative instructions were ignored and baseless allegations were levelled against the Sindh government, he lamented.
